Spreading the healthy eating message in Northumberland

To really understand the importance of healthy eating, it helps to appreciate where food comes from. And that is just what school children in Northumberland have been learning about through the ‘Roots and Shoots’ project.

Combining gardening and healthy lifestyles

Alnwick Garden is one of the country’s premier formal gardens. It offers cascading fountains, tropical plants, the world’s largest tree-house and a newly-refurbished information centre. The 42-acre attraction is behind only Kew and Wisley in terms of visitor numbers. But it is also the site of an innovative project to encourage children to eat more healthily.

About 400 Northumberland school children visit Alnwick four times a year to take part in gardening and healthy lifestyle sessions called 'Roots and Shoots'. The eight to 10-year-olds visit Alnwick during the spring and summer months. They work with the gardening staff planting, tending and picking a range of fruit and vegetables that are set aside in their own private plot.

During their visits to the garden they are also given fun lessons, led by NHS staff from the Northumberland Primary Care Trust. These include dressing up in costumes and playing interactive games to help them understand the importance of ‘five-a-day’ and a balanced diet.

Food knowledge: exotic fruits

During lunch, they are given the chance to try a range of different foods, including exotic fruits in a freshly-prepared fruit salad. Twenty primary schools take part each year, sending groups of 20 children to participate in the project.

Public Health Nurse Elaine Upson oversees the local Roots and Shoots schools programme. She says it has been well received since it started two years ago.

“We have had fantastic feedback from the children. Teachers have reported that children return knowing much more about food and having higher self-esteem.

Upson adds:

“I think it works because we try to make it fun and practical. They really get involved and that is great to see.”

An evaluation last year showed that well over 90 per cent of participants came away knowing about the ‘five-a-day’ message and portion sizes.

Annie, a pupil from Tweedmouth Community Middle School, says the experience helped transform her attitude. She says:

“The most important thing I have learned is that you need to eat fruit and vegetables to keep healthy. And you get exercise when you are gardening.”

Growing clubs

Participants are encouraged to talk about what they have learned during the visits when they return to their classes. This is to ensure as many pupils as possible benefit from the scheme.

The schools are also helped to set up their own growing clubs as well as getting free passes to Alnwick so other pupils can visit throughout the year.

Nurse Upson says:

“It has really taken off. Some schools have even started using their own produce in school meals. I think helping children understand about food, where it comes from, how it is grown and how it fits into a healthy diet is essential.”

But Roots and Shoots is not the only scheme overseen by North of Tyne NHS – a network of three trusts, Northumberland, Newcastle and North Tyneside – which is aimed at encouraging healthy eating.

Healthy lifestyle weeks

Targeting school children has been made one of the top priorities to tackle the growing levels of obesity. The area has some of the highest rates in the country with a third of children classed as obese or overweight when they start school.

In a bid to tackle the issue, some schools have run healthy lifestyles weeks during which NHS and council staff run a series of sessions to promote healthy lifestyles.

During a recent event at Wallsend's Churchill Community College pupils were given short ‘tasters’ of new activities, including urban dance and boxercise, and the chance to try healthy snacks during their lunch breaks.

Alan Strachan, the college’s Director of Extended Services, says the children really enjoyed the event. This was held in February 2009 in partnership with North Tyneside PCT. He says:

“If this gives them a greater knowledge of diet and exercise then it's giving them a great start in life,”

Lean East

Schools in the east of Newcastle have also benefited from Lean East. This is a partnership between the city council, local NHS and host of voluntary and private sector organisations.

It has been operating in 10 primary schools to date, but will be expanded later this year after its initial success. The scheme has involved a wide range of support from cooking skills workshops to free bike repair services.

Schools have also been supported in setting up healthy tuck shops, selling things such as freshly-prepared smoothies and fruit.

Dr Danny Ruta, Director of Public Health at Newcastle PCT, says it is already having an impact.

"The project has been running for 18 months and in that time we have seen overweight and obesity rates in Year 6 children drop by two per cent, while rates in the rest of the city have gone up.

He adds:

“This is a remarkable impact in such a short space of time.”

Useful links: where to find out more

NHS North of Tyne 

Roots’n’shoots – Roots and Shoots projects are accredited by Eco Schools in the UK. Projects now count towards the Eco Schools ‘Green Flag’ award

Page published August 2009.