Iwan Thomas launches 2011 pilot of 'Healthy Kids' Programme
The Community Sports Foundation is delighted to announce that it has begun the latest trials of its reveloutionary 'Healthy kids' schools programme.
The programme designed by Olympian Iwan Thomas and his physiotherapist Kim Waters, was created in line with the National Curriculum and with the assistance of several sports scientists and nutritionists. The results of the latest trials are already proving extremely encouraging demonstrating clear improvements in health and fitness, raised self esteem and improvements in educational performance such as mathematics.
Healthy kids is the only initiative that combines the concept of healthy eating as well as the benefits of sport and physical activity in a fun and interactive way for young primary school children. The scheme does not look to preach the virtues but instead encourage and interact with pupils so they can be guided towards making an informed decision. It encourages them to develop wider skills such as team working and incorporates practical learning, especially in the discipline of mathematics by introducing the concept of how maths and sport can work together.
The programme demonstrates firsthand how to cook and prepare meals but based around foods that children clearly enjoy and demand. For example they will be shown firsthand how to cook for themselves a healthy Pizza or Fish and Chips and then asked to cook it for themselves. We will introduce participants to a variety of sports including less mainstream games like Ultimate Frisbee and Dodgeball, demonstrating that you do not have to be necessarily technically gifted to enjoy sport and physically activity, making it immediately more accessible to participants who are not necessarily confident or that do not enjoy traditional mainstream sports.
Re-Introducing competitive sport is a clear objective of national government and Healthy Kids fully incorporates this concept. The programme allows for our sporting activities to be competitive both individually and in a team environment. It does however also address the need to work closely with participants that simply do not have an interest in sport but yet wish to be active.
In all cases participants on the Healthy Kids programme will be provided with their very own pedometer supplied and maintained by The Community Sport Foundations technical partner Fitbug. The units will allow us to monitor the amount of steps each child takes as well as calculate calories burnt and distant covered which the children can see for themselves when they upload the bugs to the Healthy Kids network.
The final results from the programme will be published on this site shortly after the conclusion of the 3 school pilot.
To enquire about sponsorship opertunities relating to this programme or to enquire about your school taking part in the programme please email healthykids@tcsf.org.uk
