Local authorities - local supporter case studies

English region: East

Activities

The Firefighter Fit and Healthy Programme ran for 8 weeks at Bury St Edmunds fire station and was aimed at children aged between 11-14 and their families. For two hours a week, they learned a whole host of ways they could live healthier lives. This included diet and nutritional classes, structured physical exercise, as well as real firefighter training.

This programme was a real team effort and working along side the fire service were the NHS Suffolk Child Weight Management Service, MEND and Healthy Ambitions Suffolk. Everyone on the course had a great time and what the participants learned really boosted their confidence and self-esteem.

The scheme has now been extended to fire stations in Lowestoft and Ipswich and the programme expanded to include the children's families too.

The success of the programme in Suffolk has led to the birth of a UK-wide initiative which involves over 50 fire and rescue services. The FireFit Health Challenge aims to combine the positive, physically-active brands of the fire service and Olympic Games as a means of encouraging people to become healthier during the run-up to London 2012.

English region: East Midlands

Activities

Twenty-four family-orientated sessions ran in a host of locations across the region.

The sessions aimed to get all those attending active and enjoying themselves, and they included activities to suit all ages and abilities.

The activities included fast and furious games of rounders, a giant parachute, and activity hunts as well as a competition to find the most active family.

Reach: 1,579 children and adults

Resources used: Brochures, posters and the Change4Life website

More information:
More about Leicester-Shire and Rutland Sport

English region: North East

Date: 28 January 2011

Activities

On Friday 28 January 2011, Darlington Borough Council turned back time to Friday 28 January 1981.

Why? Well, in the mid-80s just 16% of children and young people travelled to school by car. Today, many more families drive. So Darlington Borough Council wanted to get families to return to more active and sustainable ways of travelling to school.

To encourage everyone to join in, teachers and pupils wore 80’s-inspired fancy dress. Schools created pledge walls so teachers and pupils could pledge to walk or cycle to school on the day.

To drum up support, Darlington Borough Council distributed posters and flyers around the town, as well as approaching local radio stations and newspapers to promote this retro activity.

English region: South West

Date: 1 January - 31 March 2011

Activities

Portsmouth City Council believes that if you show someone how easy something is, they’re more likely to do it. So, they created the Easy Freezy Swaps initiative in support of the Great Swapathon.

The campaign aimed to encourage people to cook tasty nutritious food using fresh ingredients, then freezing portions to be used later as a healthy and affordable way to feed your family.

As well as helping families prepare healthier meals to freeze, the campaign also featured swaps that can be made at supermarket freezer cabinets, such as choosing low fat frozen yogurt and ice creams rather than the regular, higher fat versions.

Portsmouth City Council enlisted the support of their local ASDA who hosted the campaign at its Bridge Centre store.

Activity to launch the campaign included local press adverts, bus stop posters, local radio ads and flyers.

Reach: Portsmouth City Council also distributed flyers with its 9,000 employees' payslips, and to over 20,000 local households.

Resources used:

More information:
More information about Easy Freezy