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Task
Force to Help North West Diet
THE North West
Food and Health Task Force have launched a Draft North West Food and
Health Action Plan for consultation. It aims to improve well-being
and narrow health inequalities through better food and nutrition and
to work towards achieving food security for the population of the
North West.
Improving the health of the Northwest is a key priority, with ill
health a significant cost to businesses in the region. Providing
information about health, food and nutrition will play a major role
in helping to address and tackle this issue.
Angela Towers from the North West Food and Health Task Force
comments:- "Nationally, poor diets have been estimated to cost
the NHS between £4billion and £6billion annually. The North West
Food and Health Action Plan is part of a regional initiative to
tackle this issue proactively - helping to effect communities, the
economy and local businesses in a positive way. At present,
businesses are paying dearly for the North West's ill health and
individuals are also suffering the ill effects of poor nutrition
through sickness, loss of productivity and a reduced quality of
life."
These issues are being addressed through the implementation of the
North West Food and Health Action Plan consultation process - which
has a number of key objectives in its sights.
Primarily, the plan aims to lessen nutritional inequalities through
better food and nutrition. This will be achieved by educating
consumers with a particular focus on infants, children and young
people. There will also be a move to improve the access to healthier
foods and ensuring there is ready availability through the
development of transport services and retail provision.
The plan also focuses on achieving food security for the North
West's population by promoting and producing sustainable food supply
chains. This will reconnect farmers and producers with their markets
and drive a reduction in 'food miles'- the distance an item
of food travels before it reaches the consumer. This will have the
benefit of improving the quality of food that reaches consumers and
ensuring sustainability for local producers, farmers and suppliers.
Promoting healthier food in the public and private sector will also
be a priority for consultation. This will have the double benefit of
encouraging individuals to eat healthily as well as supporting local
suppliers in their businesses.
The North West Food and Health Task Force Consultation is part of a
wider initiative which is spearheaded by the Northwest Regional
Development Agency - helping to connect faming and food throughout
the region.
Steve Heaton, Head of Rural Affairs at the Northwest Regional
Development Agency comments:- "Ill health can bring
significant costs to business, reducing the region's potential
workforce and impacting on the regional economy. The numerous
objectives set out in this Action Plan will help to combat the root
causes of the health challenges facing the Northwest. This plan
focuses on several specific priorities but it is not set in stone.
As other issues arise the plan can adapt to address them. This will
ensure a targeted approach which will bring about important
improvements to the health of the workforce in the Northwest."
To view the consultation documents visit
foodandhealthnw.co.uk. |
Red
carpet rolled out for schools
THE pioneering work of Liverpool schools in improving
attainment for children of all abilities was being celebrated at an
Oscars-style awards ceremony late last week. The 2006
Liverpool Inclusion Awards, sponsored by Liverpool John Moores
University and 2020 Liverpool, were held on Wednesday 17 May with
the theme 'The Voice of the Child'. The event
recognised the achievements of 46 schools who have received
national, regional and local awards for their commitment to
inclusion.
The 200 guests were treated to a performance by Lister Infants
School cheerleaders, multi cultural music and dance from Pleasant
Street primary and St Oswald's Juniors, plus a drama performance by
St John Bosco Arts College. There was also a performance by a
signing choir and a wheelchair dance by pupils from Broadgreen High
School.
Awards were also presented to schools that have excelled in their
provision for children with autism, dyslexia and other special
educational needs. Liverpool became the first local authority in the
country to be designated Dyslexia Friendly last year, and 18 schools
were officially recognised for their work at the ceremony.
Liverpool City Council's executive member for children's services,
Councillor Paul Clein, said:- "If we are to successfully
include children with special educational needs in our mainstream
schools, we need to ensure there is very good support in place.
Schools across the city have embraced the inclusion agenda and are
working incredibly hard to improve standards for youngsters of all
ages and abilities. These awards demonstrate that an
improvement in quality is taking place, and it is great to see that
so many schools are meeting the challenge successfully."
Clifford Holroyde Special School were also honoured for being named
as 1 of only 12 specialist Special Educational Needs Colleges in the
country by the DfES. It provides a unique programme - the Helena
project - to assist girls who have social, emotional and behavioural
problems.
And the Black Achievement project run by the city council's Ethnic
Minority and Traveller Achievement Service were also given a prize
for its work to raise the aspirations and self-esteem of Liverpool
born black children. This includes researching personal histories,
interviewing relatives about their lives and studying the history of
black men and women. Studies show that children involved in the
project improve their performance in English, Maths and Science.
A special award was presented to the city council's social inclusion
team. Their work has reduced the number of youngsters who are
permanently excluded from school by more than 40% in the space of a
year.
Liverpool City Council's interim executive director for children's
services, Stuart Smith, said:- "I'm delighted with the
progress that has been made in making inclusion a reality in so many
Liverpool schools over the last few years. It is not easy to
achieve the standards set by the schools recognised through these
awards and demonstrates excellent leadership and the high quality of
staff that there are in schools." |
