One in two Birmingham primary schools have taken part in Health for Life® initiative

Children and teachers at Birmingham primary schools have been congratulated by The Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Cllr Chaman Lal for growing vegetables, cooking their own food and exercising more – as part of the innovative Health for Life programme – created and funded by Mondelēz International and delivered in partnership with Birmingham-based charity Services For Education, with the support of The Conservation Volunteers.

Children and teachers at 11 Birmingham primary schools have been honoured for their dedication to Health for Life which aims to achieve healthy lifestyles across Birmingham, encouraging nursery and primary schools to grow fruit and vegetables, learn about healthy eating, improve cooking skills and take part in a range of physical activities.

The Lord Mayor presented plaques to 11 schools to mark the achievements of pupils and staff at Highbury Hall, Moseley. One in two of all Birmingham primary schools have now taken part in Health for Life – now in its twelfth year.

ENDS

Additional information below pics

Caption: Children and their teacher from Barr View Academy receive their award from Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Cllr Chaman Lal

Caption: Proud children from Springfield House Community Special School with their award

Additional information:

The schools included Barr View Primary Academy, Bordesley Village Primary School, Cromwell Junior and Infant School, Grestone Academy, New Oscott Primary School, Oasis Academy Foundry, Penns Primary, Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School, St Clare’s Catholic Primary School, St Francis Catholic Primary School and Springfield House Community Special School.

The programme provides support, training and funding to enable schools to make wide ranging and sustainable changes such as building raised beds and polytunnels, planting fruit trees and bushes, growing fresh vegetables and fruit, redesigning playground areas so children can be more active and running family learning workshops to share healthy lifestyle messages with parents and carers.

Helen Grundy, education adviser at Services For Education, told children and teachers at the awards event, that their work was, quite literally, ground-breaking.

“We’re so proud of each of you and it’s wonderful to see how much you enjoy growing fruit and vegetables, cooking – and then eating the results of your efforts,” she said.

Kelly Farrell, community affairs manager at Mondelēz International, said: “We’re incredibly proud of Health for Life and the positive difference it is making to so many children and families across Birmingham – and the efforts made especially by teachers and school staff. It was wonderful to celebrate the achievements of so many schools.”

For more information on the Health for Life programme, please visit sandbox.servicesforeducation.co.uk/health-for-life/.

About Services For Education:

An education and training charity based in Birmingham, Services For Education brings music and learning to life. It is the recipient of several major awards including as a finalist and winner of previous Music and Drama Awards. It has recently been recognised in the Asian Chamber of Commerce Awards and The Charity Awards.

Services For Education employs more than 200 staff delivering music tuition to children, and expert training and development to teaching and school support staff. Part-funded by the Arts Council, England it also has its own fund-raising and subsidised commercial operations.

• Services For Education’s School Support Service provides expert training and development to teaching and support staff in nearly 600 schools in the West Midlands and increasingly across England, to improve practice and ensure teachers are best equipped to respond to developments in curriculum and policy. As a leading provider of safeguarding education, Services For Education works with 400 schools delivering training in-person and on-line. It also delivers innovative programmes to support the physical and emotional health of children and young people through Health for Life and other community-based activity.
• Services For Education’s Music Service, one of the largest in the country, works with 93% of Birmingham schools and each year teaches music to nearly 32,000 children – as well as running 97 free ensembles. It provides 27,000 musical instruments free-of-charge so all children have access to playing and enjoying music together and its Youth Proms at Symphony Hall give 4,000 young musicians the opportunity to perform to an audience of more than 10,000. It also runs music schools, has a world music department, provides private music tuition to all ages as well as working with partners to deliver music and choral opportunities to disadvantaged and vulnerable groups. Its award-winning Online Music Educational Resource was completed and launched free to schools in 2021 to appeal to a young IT-connected audience attracted to learning online and to complement traditional tuition.

Services For Education’s Annual Review for 2022 is available here: https://sandbox.servicesforeducation.co.uk/annual-review-2022/

Issued on behalf of:

Services For Education
Unit 3 Holt Court
Holt Street
Birmingham Science Park
Aston
Birmingham B7 4AX

For further information on Services For Education:

David Clarke, Clarke Associates, (Public and media relations, Services For Education)

E: david-c@clarke-associates.co.uk;

M: 07808 735255