CHILDREN at a Blaenau Gwent primary school have been learning about healthy living as part of a summer holiday programme aimed at promoting positive physical and mental wellbeing.
Pupils at Rhos y Fedwen Primary School in Ebbw Vale have been taking part in the Food and Fun programme, which sees them trying new foods and activities, and learning about living healthily.
The children have been playing sport and completing the daily mile, blind taste testing different fruits, creating food art, and learning about the amount of sugar in their favourite food and drinks.
Keri Smith, headteacher at Rhos y Fedwen, said: “It’s a fantastic opportunity for our children to experience new foods and new activities and also be active during the summer holidays.
“We aim to promote the five ways of wellbeing: improved mental health and wellbeing; school engagement and educational attainment; improved aspirations; improved physical activity; and improved dietary behaviour.
“With the challenges that face our community, we have been especially passionate in supporting this programme from the beginning.
“We have also had incredible support from the local authority, Aneurin Leisure and the health board.”
The programme – now in its fourth year – also teaches children about issues such as sustainability and biodiversity.
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Aneurin Leisure helps to co-ordinate the programme, and also organise new activities – including boules, squash and skateboarding – for the children to try out.
Gareth Winmill, sport development manager at Aneurin Leisure, said: “We are trying to break down the barriers of food poverty in the area.
“It’s bigger than just sport. It’s food, fitness and wellbeing, and taking away social isolation.”
The programme is part of the Welsh Government’s Healthy Weight, Healthy Wales programme, which has seen £4.85 million invested in running projects like this for almost 8,000 children across Wales.
The programme aims to tackle obesity in Wales, with 26.9 per cent of reception age children being either overweight or obese.
And on Thursday, deputy minister for mental health Lynne Neagle paid a visit to the school to see what the children were learning.
“We knew we had a major challenge in terms of tackling obesity before the pandemic, but that made it even more urgent,” she said.
“[The workshops] are important every year, but this year especially. Everybody has been through a really tough time, none more so than children and young people who have been away from their peers for a really long time.
“Physical and mental health are so closely linked, it’s brilliant to see they are learning about eating healthily and making healthy choices.
“I’m really pleased to see the Welsh Government invest in schemes like this.
“I’m particularly pleased to see it here at Rhos y Fedwen, as I know this is a school that puts a great emphasis on wellbeing.”
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