Pupils across Birmingham awarded for healthy lifestyles

Children and staff from 10 schools met at Highbury Hall on Tuesday 14 February, to celebrate the achievements they made, over the last 18 months, as part of the Health for Life scheme – an initiative that aims to achieve a sustained difference in healthy lifestyles across Birmingham. After demonstrating how they have incorporated physical activity, growing food and healthy eating into school life, students and teachers were presented with a Health for Life award, at the celebration event, from the Lord Mayor, Cllr Maureen Cornish.

Funded by Mondelēz International and delivered in partnership with Services For Education, with the support of The Conservation Volunteers (TCV), the Health for Life programme aims to promote active and healthy lifestyles in a way that is suited to each school individually. The annual award ceremony celebrates how teachers, pupils and families have worked together to make physical activity, cultivating fruit and vegetables and cooking healthy meals a fun and engaging part of learning.

With limited green space, Weoley Castle Nursery School used its Health for Life funding to transform a derelict outdoor area into an inspiring garden, with children utilising all manner of receptacles for growing, from old tyres to wellington boots. Funding at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Nechells, was used to build a polytunnel and potting area, where pupils have been harvesting a range of fresh vegetables including carrots, turnips potatoes, kale and herbs.

Wilson Stuart School, an Erdington-based special academy, used its grant to ensure that the programme could be accessed by all children, including those with more significant needs, by holding appropriate daily physical exercise sessions for all and purchasing specialist gardening tools and cookery equipment for a new adaptive kitchen.

Tom Elmes, associate head of secondary at Wilson Stuart School, said: “Thanks to Health for Life, we’ve been able to invest in specialist kitchen equipment that our students will be able to use and also create our very own adaptive kitchen for staff, pupils and families to enjoy. It’s been brilliant to see everybody’s attitude towards leading a healthy lifestyle positively adapt, and to see how much our students have enjoyed learning and getting involved in the scheme.”

The Health for Life programme has engaged 211 nursery, primary and secondary schools, since its launch in 2011, reaching around 73,560 students and 168,300 adults, including school staff and families. Health for Life has recently recruited the next cohort of schools for the programme.

Helen Grundy, education adviser at Services For Education, commented: “We’re extremely proud of all the children who have taken part in the programme. It’s been fantastic to see the positive difference the programme continues to make at schools across Birmingham, and it’s wonderful to celebrate their achievements at this awe-inspiring annual event.”

Kelly Farrell, community affairs manager at Mondelēz International, added: “We’ve funded our Health for Life programme for eleven years now and I’m delighted that schools are continuing to make such a variety of positive and long-term changes. The awards event is a lovely way to recognise the commitment and achievements of teachers and pupils.”

For more information on the Health for Life scheme in nursery and primary schools, please visit https://www.servicesforeducation.co.uk/health-for-life/ and for further details on Mondelēz International, head to www.mondelezinternational.com.

About Health for Life

• Health for Life is an evidence-based programme supporting children and adults in Birmingham to live healthier lifestyles by engaging people in growing food, physical activity, healthy eating and cookery.
• Health for Life is funded by Mondelēz International, with an investment £4.6 million to date, and delivered in schools by Services For Education and in the community by The Conservation Volunteers.
• Since 2011, Health for Life has engaged 211 Birmingham schools comprising 167 primary, 26 nursery and 18 secondary schools benefitting 73,560 pupils. It has also reached more than 168,300 adults in the city including teachers, parents and community members
  
• Over 1260 Mondelēz International employee volunteers have given practical support to programme schools and community spaces.
• Health for Life has developed 18 community food growing spaces and continues to deliver Green Gym activities in five of these locations.
• The programme has received national acclaim with Mondelēz International winning the Food and Drinks Federation Health and Wellbeing Award in 2013 and Business in the Community’s ‘Big Tick’ 2014, in the Building Stronger Communities category, for the Health for Life in primary schools programme. Both the Health for Life show garden and separate schools’ wheelbarrow displays won ‘best in show’ awards at BBC Gardeners’ World in 2016.
  
  About Services For Education
  Services For Education is a unique charity that uses the power of learning and of music to create and build confidence amongst children, young people and adults in communities across the West Midlands, delivering educational programmes to support the wider community to become the best people they can be, regardless of their background. 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 https://www.servicesforeducation.co.uk/health-for-life/. Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SFE_Tweets