Plucky young chef has right ingredients

Nicholas Brockelbank and younger brother Toby have so far raised more than $500. Photo / Christine Cornege

A budding young chef is selling his cookbooks to raise money for a Hamilton charity that has been helping him and his family for the past seven years.

Cambridge boy Nicholas Brockelbank has already written four cookbooks and so far raised $530 for True Colours, a charitable organisation which provides nursing and counselling for seriously ill children and their families.

The 9-year-old Cambridge East School pupil was born with muscular dystrophy, a debilitating disorder which involves muscle weakness and progressive loss of muscle tissue.

But despite sometimes using a wheelchair and needing glasses, Nic keeps going from strength to strength in his life.

After he wrote his first cookbook for the Christchurch Earthquake Relief Fund, he won the New Zealand Kids Cook Off on the Good Morning television show in April.

Sales from his $5 handmade Nic's Cook Book, versions one, two and three, together with art he and his 6-year-old brother, Toby, sell on Nic's website, have netted the relief fund and the Muscular Dystrophy Association $500.

"I thought it would be nice to give them money."

Nic is hoping a fourth cookbook, Party Food, will be published and mum Chrissie has approached book publishers Scholastic.

A keen guitar player and sports enthusiast, Nic is also a finalist in the youth category of TVNZ's Attitude Awards for his fundraising efforts.

Nominated by the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Nic and his family will travel to Auckland in early December for an awards evening and will feature on TVNZ's Attitude programme.

The awards showcase the achievements of New Zealanders with disabilities.

Nic also has his own website where he blogs about daily life and living with muscular dystrophy.

He was diagnosed with the condition at 2 and when he was 3 Nic's parents took him to True Colours for support.

Chrissie Brockelbank said the service, which operates out of a house in Frankton, had offered practical and emotional support for the whole family through counselling and therapy.

True Colours also provided nursing and hospice services for children with a broad range of illnesses.

Nic's cookbook fundraiser had been his way of giving back to the charity.

"I think I started cooking when I was about 7," Nic said.

"And I sometimes help my mum cook dinner."

He compiled the cookbooks using family and friends' recipes and a few he acknowledged from other chefs.

True Colours chief executive Cynthia Ward said Nic's efforts had been outstanding.

Mrs Ward said that the service relied heavily on fundraising to survive and every bit counted.

The organisation will host its annual fundraiser tomorrow, the long luncheon, at The Narrows Landing in Tamahere to celebrate Melbourne Cup Day.

Last year the luncheon raised $44,000 and this year guest speakers include comedian couple Jeremy Elwood and Michele A'Court.

To purchase Nic's cookbooks visit www.nicocool.com