Press release
Free places on scheme to help kids get fit
Children and families in Bury are being offered the opportunity to become fitter, healthier and happier through a free family focussed initiative.
Known as ‘MEND’ which stands for Mind, Exercise, Nutrition…Do it! The 10 week course aims to help more families on their way to a healthier and happier lifestyle. The MEND Programme is targeted at children between the ages of 7 and 13 who are over the healthy weight range for their age and height.
Funded by The Big Lottery Fund, it is the largest national scheme for tackling childhood overweight and obesity, and aims to get children more healthy and active, with the support of their parents or carers.
Following hot on the heels of the first successful course in Bury which ran from September 2009, more courses are planned for 2010 and parents of eligible children are urged to sign up, as places are limited on this fun, free programme that really works.
Courses are run after school, twice a week for 10 weeks. Sessions on the course aim to get the whole family involved in helping children to change their eating and exercise habits, while learning about nutrition, with a view to improving overall health, fitness and wellbeing for years to come.
As well as finding out about the foods our bodies need to stay healthy, children take part in exciting games and activities and learn how to get fit by being creative with what they do. Everyone has a fun and rewarding time and the whole family benefits.
“Previous families on the course have had a great deal of success and it changes families’ lives. Children become healthier and fitter and we have seen their self esteem and confidence increase greatly” says Programme Manager, David Wood. “We are committed to offering families in Bury the chance to improve their health with this fantastic free course.”
Places on the MEND Programme are available for free to eligible families, thanks to Big Lottery Funding and are offered on a first come, first served basis. For more information or to register for the Programme simply call freephone 0800 230 0263 or visit www.mendcentral.org
ENDS
Date: 27 January 2010
For press & media enquiries: contact Caroline Dearden, Corporate Communications Manager on 0161 762 3106 or email communications@bury.nhs.uk
For general press enquiries regarding MEND or graduate case study families, please contact: Paul Martin or Jonathan Scott at MEND on 020 7231 7225 or paul.martin@mendprogramme.org / jonathan.scott@mendprogramme.org
Notes to editor:
MEND (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition...Do it!) is a social enterprise which was established in 2004 to enable a significant, measurable and sustained reduction in global childhood overweight and obesity levels. Its flagship intervention, the MEND 7 – 13 Programme for 7 to 13 year old children was developed at Great Ormond Street Hospital and the Institute of Child Health, University College London. It is now available in around 300 community locations nationwide and is completely free of charge to participants through support from the Big Lottery Fund, Sainsbury's supermarkets and a variety of Primary Care Trusts, Local Authorities and leisure services providers. www.mendprogramme.org
The Big Lottery Fund’s support for MEND comes from its £165m Well-being programme, which provides funding to support the development of healthier lifestyles and to improve well-being.
The Big Lottery Fund has been rolling out grants to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK since its inception in June 2004. It was established by Parliament on 1 December 2006.
Full details of the work of the Big Lottery Fund, its programmes and awards are available on the website: www.biglotteryfund.org.uk
Big Lottery Fund Press Office: 020 7211 1888 / Out of hours: 07867 500 572 Public Enquiries Line: 08454 102030 / Textphone: 08456 021 659