Natasha Gavin set up the Theatre-in-Education company I Know Why It’s Yum, Mum! in 2011 and, with a small group of professional actors and volunteers, she has taken the company’s performance and workshops into London schools and children’s groups since January this year.
Her mission is simple: to get young children eating more fruit and veg by feeding them the funky nutritional facts and simple scientific messages that could influence their dietary choices in years to come. The high-octane, entertaining and fact-filled show and workshops have already made a significant impact on two to 11 year-olds in her local area and Gavin describes the feedback she gets from teachers and parents as “tear jerking” on occasion. I Know Why It’s Yum, Mum! gets a high number of repeat bookings, with one London borough having just block booked 20 Rainbow Workshops for two to five year-olds in 2012-13. Communication barriers with both the government and schools are notoriously tough to break down and Gavin, who has so far stumped up her own cash to fund the enterprise, is now searching for backers to help her take the concept to the next level.
Working with Buzzbnk, an online marketplace for social ventures, she would like to use a social network fundraising mechanism - ‘crowdfunding’ - to raise the money to produce a set of fruit and veg-inspired Top Trumps cards. The card game allows kids to play against each other, while teaching them the values and benefits of a wide variety of fruit and veg, cereals and seeds, which are given values out of 10 for ‘energy’, ‘strength’, ‘protection’, ‘hydration’ and ‘brain power’.
“Top Trumps is an iconic children’s brand. It’s timeless - we can all remember them from our childhood and they are right in fashion now,” says Gavin. “They are huge with five to 10 year-olds, which is a key target audience for me. Initially, I would hope to produce 10,000 complete packs of cards. As we are a social enterprise, the majority of the profit we make goes back into realising the goals of the business - ultimately getting kids to eat more fruit and veg. “Crowdfunding uses your social network to attract funding from individuals, philanthropists, industries or companies. Once the Top Trumps cards are sold - through retailers, schools, play centres or wherever - either backers will receive a revenue share, their money back, or they can view it as a donation to a very good cause.”
Already, the venture has expanded to incorporate a workshop for nannies and childcarers and a Rainbow Workshop ‘on the plot’, which takes children on a voyage of fruit and veg discovery to Gavin’s allotment, giving them the opportunity to experience, pick and eat fruit and vegetables, while helping bring to life their nutritional value.
“I keep prices as low as possible to make the shows and workshops accessible to everyone,” says Gavin. “Deprived areas could benefit even more and I really want to take the show and workshops on the road around the country. Many teachers I have worked with have said that my approach and workshops should be part of the curriculum. “This approach can make a big difference to future fruit and veg consumption patterns. I am effectively just doing fruit and veg PR. Obesity problems are well documented and it’s the responsibility of us all to try and reverse trends that have already created a public health disaster.” -
GET INVOLVED
If any fresh produce companies would like to help Natasha Gavin with her project, they can contact her at info@iknowwhyitsyummy.com or visit www.iknowwhyitsyummy.com
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