HUNDREDS of people are to be encouraged to join a Jamie Oliver healthy eating revolution in the North-East.

Under the banner of Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food, 720 people will be asked to attend one of 12 basic cookery classes.

Held in community venues across County Durham, the scheme will be run by The Pioneering Care Partnership charity, of Newton Aycliffe, in partnership with NHS County Durham.

Labelled Pass It On County Durham, the ambitious scheme aims to teach people from all walks of life how to cook simple, healthy recipes.

One of the most important objectives is to encourage at least 180 of the 720 to sign up to one of 12 six-week cookery courses to improve their skills in the kitchen.

According to Jamie Oliver’s Ministry of Food website, the Pass It On idea is to “inspire people who have never cooked to give it a try and then, once they’ve learned a recipe, to teach two other people how to make it too.”

The first of 12 events will take place at Consett Civic Hall on Wednesday, November 11, and the second will be at West Cornforth Community Centre on Thursday, December 17.

More Pass It On sessions will take place in Haswell and Wheatley Hill in January, and in Blackhill and Weardale in February.

Everyone who attends will be given a free recipe book.

The underlying aim of Pass It On County Durham is to try to make a contribution to encouraging people to lead more healthy lives.

NHS County Durham says it is committed to improving the overall health of local communities.

The primary care trust particularly wants to reduce levels of obesity, reduce risks of ill health, improve life expectancy rates and reduce social isolation.

Those signing up for the sixweek cookery course will also be given nutritional information, advice on food labelling, fats, salts and sugars as well as shopping on a budget and how to plan a healthy meal.

Those taking part will be asked to act as champions and pass on their new skills to family and friends.

Anyone interested in signing up can either ring 01325-321234 or email passiton@pcp.uk.net The website pcp.uk.net will have full details of all the cookery sessions.