Children’s Health Champions

The London Borough of Westminster had the highest rate of obese year 6 primary school age children in England in 2010 (NHS Westminster, London Health Observatory, Health and Social care info Centre 2010). Westbourne Ward has 84% of children living in income deprived households which is within the top 2% of the most deprived wards in the country.

A recent survey carried out by The Mosaic Community Trust in Westminster, suggests that although children appear to have a good idea of how many portions of fruit and vegetables are recommended to eat, they have less knowledge of how much exercise they should be doing a week and believe themselves to be the right weight when they are in fact overweight.

The Mosaic Community Trust in partnership with Westbourne Park Family Centre is piloting a health and well being project to address obesity in primary schools with high levels of deprivation in North Westminster, to champion healthy eating and exercise. This project will improve the health and wellbeing of primary school children initially in Edward Wilson School and later in other schools to include St Stephens School, Our Lady of Dolours School, Paddington Green School and Hallfield School, empowering and supporting 50 pupils to become local health champions within their school community.

The Children’s Health Champions will promote healthy eating and exercise within their schools, encouraging self awareness and positive change amongst pupils. Pupils will be encouraged to increase their weekly consumption of fruit and vegetable portions, their amount of physical activity and reduce the amount of weekly consumption of unhealthy snacks.

The health and wellbeing of 500 primary school children in Westminster will be improved.