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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The JNC acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands on which we work, the Gadigal and Bidjigal People of the Eora Nation. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging and acknowledge that these lands always were and always will be Aboriginal lands. We celebrate First Nations Peoples’ connection to the land and recognise the importance of Indigenous voices and culture. We would like to advise that there may be images or videos on this website of people who have since passed.

The NEST Program

01/07/2026 in Family Support

Learning about nutrition, cooking and diet, is not only a great way to meet new people and connect, but it’s an evidenced based public health response that is proven to promote cooking confidence, healthy eating, and food security. Research shows that these skills can give you control over your food and eating practices, empowering you to adjust to your dietary needs or preferences to suit you and your family.  

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Last month, JNC worked in partnership with OzHarvest at Soldier’s Settlement Public School and with OzHarvest and South East Sydney Local Health District (SESLHD) to run the Nutrition Education Skills Training (NEST) program at South Coogee. For 6 weeks, fourteen community members have tied up their aprons and learnt a range of skills to use in their own kitchens. 

People entered the space with a varying degree of kitchen skills and knowledge. Everyone was able to leave with a better understanding of, not only nutrition and cooking, but also the ability to transfer these skills to their kitchens at home in an affordable way. This program has proven to create positive nutritional habits on a budget for families so that real and lasting change can be made.  

“We loved cooking together, we want to find a way to continue this connection and learning.” 

– NEST Program Participant 

Facilitating these activities in spaces that are trusted and known to people creates a space for everyone to learn in an environment that they feel safe and comfortable in. We’ve been offering an Active Minds After School program at Soldier’s Settlement Public School for over 3 years and have worked at South Coogee Housing Estate for more than two decades. Introducing NEST through these community spaces led to a positive uptake of the program.  

Engaging and interacting in group activities such as NEST can play a major role beyond nutritional benefits in improving health holistically. Social isolation has increased significantly in recent years, having spiked after COVID.  Social interactions and increased social engagement have proven to impact positively people’s mental, physical and psychological wellbeing.  

The program was a huge success with everyone who engagedbeing very keen to continue their connection. While we are planning how this may work, they are very eager to continue increasing their knowledge in the kitchen.  

5 Stars. Great information and support. Fun and educational! Amazing! Thank you!” – NEST Program Participant 

Over June 2026 the groups were invited to Refettorio, Oz Harvest’s restaurant in Surry Hills, to enjoy a complimentary lunch together. Refettorio offers free meals for the community using food that would otherwise have been wasted. The restaurant has a team of trained chefs that produce Michelin star style food within a restaurant space that would compete with any top Sydney restaurant. 

We are really looking forward to what these programs will look like in the future. Currently we have arranged another NEST program with OzHarvest and SESLHD for older people in Matraville. We are also looking forward to our future collaboration with SESLHD for the people who were engaged at Soldiers Settlement Public School in a five week family and lifestyle program. This program will support parents in building skills to approach their children’s wellbeing holistically. Beyond this, we will also be working to run regular educational catch ups around nutrition and health at all outreach locations, to address food security at the same time as creating social connections.