Healthy eating project gains rewards.
26 schools from across Birmingham have achieved the Health for Life award at an event held in the city’s grand Council House.
Attended by Deputy Lord Mayor Cllr Mike Leddy, Cabinet Member for Children and Family Services Cllr Brigid Jones, and Dr Adrian Phillips, Director of Public Health, the ceremony saw representatives from both primary and secondary schools presented with plaques, which celebrated the achievements they made as part of the Health for Life programme.
Funded by the Mondelēz International Foundation and delivered by the Health Education Service (HES) in partnership with Life Education Centres West Midlands, with support from The Conservation Volunteers (TCV), Health for Life in primary and secondary schools aims to achieve a sustained difference in healthy lifestyles across South Birmingham.
Birmingham faces a big challenge around childhood obesity with one in four children in the city becoming clinically obese by the time they reach the age of ten. Dr Sandra Passmore, education adviser at the Health Education Service, said: “All of the schools that took part in the programme last year worked really hard to achieve this award and it has been so rewarding to see the difference it has made to both school and home life. Everyone should be very proud of their achievements.”
The £3.1 million five year programme supports activities that engage pupils, school staff and families in growing food, healthy eating and cookery and physical activity. Schools have made wide ranging and sustainable changes such as fruit and vegetable growing, cookery competitions, cookery classrooms in primary schools, boxercise, bike riding and kite flying, some of which have included opportunities for the whole family to get involved in order to achieve Health for Life status.
Kelly Farrell, community affairs manager at Mondelēz International, added: “This event recognises the hard work of all the pupils and staff to make changes and get involved in healthier lifestyle activities. The Mondelēz International Foundation is proud to fund such a successful programme that continues to make a positive difference to the community.”
