A mother of two from Acton who set up Nourished Routes, a social enterprise focused on helping young people to eat well and look after themselves both physically and mentally is set to grow further in 2025.
Helen Mullings, who is also a trained chef, said she began Nourished Routes as a way to help educate as many young people as possible from an early age.
She said her goal was to run creative workshops around healthy eating and maintaining a healthy life: “I quit my full-time job and gave my all to Nourished Routes because as a mother, I feel passionate that all children deserve to learn how to lead the healthiest possible life.”
In late 2023, Ms Mullings found a home for her workshops at Acton’s Factory Quarter which was built in 2010 by housing association Notting Hill Genesis (NHG) on a former lightbulb manufacturing site and included space for the local community to come together and use.
In its first sessions, 119 children and 76 families took part in Nourished Routes activities and was initially self-funded by Ms Mullings.
Following interest in her work and the impact it was making, NHG offered Ms Mullings grant funding to help her grow the social enterprise further and employ two permanent members of staff.
Ms Mullings revealed: “We’ve already helped so many children and families to build lifelong skills and habits that are invaluable in supporting healthy bodies and minds.”
She added: “Parents have told us that children taking parts in Nourished Routes sessions have become more open-minded and aware of the importance of fuelling their bodies with nutritious foods. They are learning to build movement into daily life, while boosting their self-esteem and emotional intelligence through positive affirmations. I’d like to expand Nourished Routes as far as possible and transform the way we educate our children about health and wellbeing.”
Lizzie Stevens, managing director of places and estates at NHG, said: “It’s fantastic to see the success of Nourished Routes and we are so pleased to have been able to support Helen to launch and grow her business.”
“It’s essential to us that our residents benefit from the community spaces and amenities across our developments, and there’s no question that Nourished Routes has a positive impact on families and children living at Factory Quarter.”
