YOUNGSTERS in Bolton are to be given a taste of the good-life.

A grant from the Food Standards Agency is to be used to put healthy eating, healthy cooking and hygiene on the menu for some of the most disadvantaged parts of the borough.

A £10,000 scheme has been drawn which includes:

A "Handy Gang" pack for primary school teachers which will include lesson plans.

A poster competition for primary school pupils.

training packs for school nurses to help them reinforce the importance of hand washing.

A competition for secondary schools to encourage pupils to carry out research and present their findings in poster form.

Eighty free food hygiene training places for school breakfast club volunteers, as well as voluntary and community group workers

A "Heart of Bolton" Award to encourage local food businesses to improve their knowledge of hygiene and healthy food options. Bolton Council's Food Control Unit has joined forces with Bolton NHS Primary Care Trust to launch the scheme.

Councillor Guy Harkin, Bolton Council's executive member for the environment, said: "We feel that this is an excellent opportunity for our food control team to work in partnership with a range of organisations to make an impact on improving the health and well-being of people in Bolton."

Jan Hutchinson, director of public health for the Primary Care Trust, said: "The need to develop food preparation and cooking skills underpins much of our work to increase healthy eating in Bolton."