The first week of April will be dedicated to food and fun in Wolverhampton with the council organising a week of activities to help people still enjoy healthy, tasty food on a budget during the cost-of-living crisis.

Kicking off on Saturday, April 1 there will a 5k run ‘Race for Hunger’ in both West Park and East Park, which will tie in with the normal park run events. The community shops, which the council helped launch across the city, will be on hand to tell people about how they can get great value groceries and save at least £30 a week on average on their weekly shop.

And community chefs, who hold regular cooking and advice sessions in the community shops, will also hold taster sessions and cookery lessons throughout the week to show people how they can make those groceries go further. The week also ties in with Wolverhampton’s Yo! Wolves Easter programme offering hundreds of activities and events for the city’s children and young people and their families during the school holidays.

The programme is bigger than ever with nearly 25,000 places available at 65 locations across the city during the fortnight-long break. The activities, many of which are free and include food, range from sports and arts and crafts to fun days out and dance and drama workshops and run from Monday 3 April to Friday 14 April

Leader of the City of Wolverhampton Council, Councillor Ian Brookfield said: “This food week will literally be the icing on the cake of a huge number of activities the council is arranging with our partners and the community to help families enjoy the Easter holidays without it costing a fortune.

“We understand how worrying it can be for families to keep their children entertained and well fed during the school holidays and with the cost-of-living crisis it’s harder than ever at the moment. This food themed week will offer fun opportunities but also help parents plan how to make their money and food go further, but without compromising on taste or their health.”