Anyone with a love of food and healthy eating is welcome to join a group which plans to make 2013 its year.

The Sheppey Food Club has a number of projects in the pipeline for this year and wants to encourage new members to sign up after receiving additional funding.

It is run as part of Sheppey Matters and last year was given a grant of £9,000 from The Health Lottery.

Members have been working to produce a recipe book full of Island favourites.

This has almost been completed and it is hoped it will be launched at the 10th anniversary celebrations of Sheppey Matters next month.

It will be called the Sheppey Cook Book and will contain recipes for starters, main courses and puddings, which have been sent in by various groups and organisations from across the Island, including the WI and the Sheppey KnitWitz.

Sheppey Food Club works with Community Chef Mike Spackman and nutritionists Alexandra Whittall and Vandana Manocha and aims to teach people about the importance of healthy eating.

They visit different groups to give talks about leading a healthy lifestyle, give cooking demonstrations and host fitness activities such as tai chi.

The food bank at Seashells Children and Families Centre, Sheerness, is also working with the club to distribute parcels.

They are also keen to teach people about the foods in different cultures and will offer advice on managing health problems through diet.

Other sessions run by the club have included digital photography and some of the images taken of completed recipes will appear in the cookery book.

Another grant of £3,250 was recently awarded by the Kent Community Fund, which the group plan to use specifically for people to share their cooking skills with each other.

As part of this they will be working with the over 60s club in Leysdown.

They also hope to launch a website.

Club treasurer Heather Thomas-Pugh said: “Really, the main aim is to highlight the importance of a healthy lifestyle.

“But anyone with a love of food and healthy eating is welcome to get involved.

• To find out more or join the food club, contact Mrs Thomas-Pugh on 07882918234.