Fourteen nursery schools from across Birmingham have been showcasing what they’ve learnt about leading healthy and active lifestyles at a celebration event, after the Health for Life programme was extended to involve under-fives for the first time.
Hosted at The Pavilions in Perry Barr, the children displayed road safety knowledge on their bikes, showcased their green-fingered skills by planting vegetables and joined in with child-friendly workout classes, which the participating nurseries have woven into their schedules each week.
The Health for Life programme, which is funded by Mondelēz International, has been running for over seven years, reaching over 50,000 pupils, predominantly in primary schools. Whilst the business continues its support to primary schools, it has also pledged to extend the initiative to reach all local authority nurseries in the region within two years.
Each nursery that has been involved in the 2018/19 project chose one element of the core offer from Health for Life; physical activity, healthy eating or growing food. The nurseries are encouraged to be as creative as they want, with support from Services for Education in implementing their plans.
Funding has been used to supply balance bikes to two nurseries, which implemented loan schemes so that all children could use the bikes in their own time. Elsewhere, schools have provided equipment to make smoothies and flavoured water, using home-grown ingredients, to replace disposable bottled drinks. In other nurseries, raised growing beds have been installed enabling children to grow their own healthy food.
Having reached 14 local authority facilities in its inaugural year, the programme will reach out to the remaining 12 during the 2019/20 school year, where the new participants can share ideas and success stories with this year’s nurseries at the annual celebration event.
The new element of the scheme mirrors the work that has been carried out in Birmingham schools since 2011. Schools have installed cookery classrooms, green gyms, allotment patches and much more in an effort to teach lifelong skills to encourage children to stay healthy.
Dr Sandra Passmore, senior advisor at Services for Education, said: “The response we’ve seen from the nursery children has been overwhelming. All the teachers we’ve worked with have said how excited and well behaved everyone who takes part is. We’re teaching children skills for life, so the earlier we can help the better!”
Emma Wilson, teaching assistant at Selly Oak Nursery School, said: “The feedback from the children and parents has been overwhelming. We were recently thanked by a parent who has changed their whole family’s diet, based on the enthusiasm their son now has towards healthy eating. It proves that Health for Life really goes beyond the classroom.”
Kelly Farrell, community affairs manager for Mondelēz International, added: “The annual celebration event is great platform for everyone involved in Health for Life to share ideas and best practice. It was amazing to see the nursery children mixing with other pupils from the primary schools, and even teaching them about active lifestyles!”
For more information about the work carried out by Health for Life in schoolsplease contact Sandra.passmore@servicesforeducation.co.uk
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Notes to editors:
About Health for Life
About Mondelēz International
Mondelēz International launched the Health for Life programme in 2011 and is continuing the company’s long-term commitment to work in partnership, delivering a wide-reaching and successful healthy lifestyle programme within Birmingham.
About Mondelēz International
Mondelēz International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MDLZ) empowers people to snack right in over 150 countries around the world. With 2018 net revenues of approximately $26 billion, MDLZ is leading the future of snacking with iconic global and local brands such as Oreo, belVita and LU biscuits; Cadbury Dairy Milk, Milka and Toblerone chocolate; Sour Patch Kids candy and Trident gum. Mondelēz International is a proud member of the Standard and Poor’s 500, Nasdaq 100 and Dow Jones Sustainability Index. Visit www.mondelezinternational.com or follow the company on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MDLZ.
Visit www.mondelezinternational.com or follow the company on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MDLZ.
About Services for Education
Services for Education is a professional service provider of education and learning which improves the lives of children, young people and adults. Services for Education comprises the School Support Service and the Music Service. The organisation is the delivery partner for Health for Life in primary schools and Health for Life in nursery schools and has supported the programme since its launch in 2011.
For more information visit http://servicesforeducation.co.uk/index.php/Health-Education/health-for-life-in-primary-schools.html . Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/S4EUK
About Change4Life
The Health for Life programme supports the Change4Life campaign which recognises that in order to maintain a healthy weight we need to eat a healthy balanced diet and move more. Many families are making changes that will help them live healthier and longer lives. Visit www.nhs.uk/Change4Life for more information.
