THREE mums from Callington who originally set out to learn more about healthy eating and cooking have been awarded national qualifications in food safety and catering. Like all mums, Helena Argyrides, Jamie Campbell and Teresa Pethick were keen to ensure that their little ones had the best start in life, and healthy eating seemed like an easy first step. Helena said: 'I'm not a brilliant cook, so when my health visitor told me about a cookery group that brings parents in Callington together with local volunteers who've been cooking all their lives, I thought I'd give it a go. 'I learned to cook a range of healthy dishes such as soups, pasta and risotto and the occasional treat like apple crumble. I'm more confident in the kitchen now and my son really enjoys the things I've learned to cook.' Mum of four Teresa, who also joined the Callington Cookery Project, said: 'Learning to cook new things really opened my eyes to healthy eating for families. Cooking from scratch isn't difficult, and it saves money.' Having mastered basic cooking skills, the women were encouraged by local health visitors to take things further and aim for a qualification. Jamie joined them, and the three began work towards their Chartered Institute of Environmental Health Food Safety and Catering level 2 certificate in a special course organised in Callington for them by Caradon District Council and funded by Caradon Local Opportunities Partnerships. The sessions included a free crèche so that the mums could concentrate on the course and enjoy a little time to themselves.