Scholastic New Zealand has teamed up with inspirational
ten-year-old boy Nicholas Brockelbank to produce Nic’s Cookbook, which
contains some of the young chef’s favourite recipes which other children will
love to cook. Nic lives with muscular dystrophy and was the 2012
ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). Nic and Scholastic NZ
are donating half of the royalties from sales of this book to the MDA.
Nic started cooking when one of his teachers
suggested it might help with his schoolwork, and has since shown significant
improvements in reading, spelling and maths. He put together his first
‘cookbook’ when he was eight years old, as a Christmas present for family and friends.
This photocopied booklet of recipes was so popular he
wrote another one and set up a website (www.nicocool.com)
to sell the recipe books and artwork to raise money for the MDA, the
Christchurch Earthquake Relief Fund and the True Colours Charitable Trust. The website also describes aspects of Nic’s life with
muscular dystrophy from his point of view, like having a wheelchair and
undertaking lots of hospital appointments and tests.
In April 2011 Nic won the TVNZ Good Morning
Kids’ Cook Off with his Chicken and Broccoli Pasta recipe, which is in the
cookbook. During 2011 Nic was nominated by the MDA for the TVNZ Attitude
Pictures ‘Attitude Awards’ (for people living with disabilities) for his fundraising
efforts and cooking achievements, and was a finalist in the Youth Category.
This year Nic was the ambassador for the MDA Bow Tie Appeal. He appeared
alongside Judy Bailey, the MDA patron, in television ads and on billboards and
posters for the campaign.
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