A disabled Harlesden entrepreneur who battled for funding to launch her healthy food academy is officially celebrating its opening this weekend.

Brent & Kilburn Times: Punch and Juicy is launching its new Roots to Market projectPunch and Juicy is launching its new Roots to Market project (Image: Archant)

Davina Roberts, founder of Punch and Juicy Liquid Foods is holding a “Roots to Market” party on Saturday in Woodheyes Road with every attendee in with a chance of winning a week’s worth of juices.

She is holding the event to mark a year since she launched her first Juice Academy social enterprise teaching young people to grow healthy food.

Activities on the day include creating a herb garden, help with building the Root To Market training area, a workshop on how to build a raised bed and planting some Summer Berries.”

She said: “Since launching our liquid food bar and piloting our ‘Juice Academy’, we’ve reached out to over 500 community members under the age 16, teaching them about healthier alternatives to readily available and widely advertised sugary beverages.

Brent & Kilburn Times: Punch and Juicy is launching its new Roots to Market projectPunch and Juicy is launching its new Roots to Market project (Image: Archant)

“We are endeavouring to increase our outreach and create even greater impact, by adding the third element to our work, a market stall, to sell the delicious, fresh fruit and veg we grow on our allotment and to share the brilliant new flavour combinations we create at our academy.

“Thanks to our supporters we now have the opportunity to teach locals how to grow, cook, sell their own food products with our Fruitful Juice Academy.”

The entrepreneur who suffers from lymphoedema, a condition which affects mobility, hit her £24,000 crowdfunding target with support from the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, London Docklands, Cargiant, Quintain and 70 other backers in September 2016.

She added: “Our new team member will be running a build a Geo Dome workshop and with 100ft of beauty full soil, there’s enough room for everyone to get involved.”

To register go to eventbrite.co.uk/