Healthy eating boost for Chester schoolchildren

Jul 14 2011 by Allison Dickinson, Chester Chronicle

A CHESTER company has received funding from NHS Western Cheshire to promote healthier lifestyle choices.

Healthbox CIC (Community Interest Company), a social enterprise set up to make healthy choices easier for individuals and groups, has been awarded £2,730 from NHS Western Cheshire’s Chairman’s Discretionary Fund which supports voluntary organisations who demonstrate a creative approach to promoting health and well being.

Healthbox is using some of its funding to buy equipment such as safety knives, blenders, kitchen equipment and hula-hoops so it can deliver more Healthy Families and Packed Lunch Pals sessions in primary schools.

The Packed Lunch Pals sessions are already running in primary schools throughout Blacon and aim to encourage children and their families to make lifestyle changes that will improve their health in the long-term.

Healthbox director Simon Sandford said: “Our sessions are designed to be fun as well as educational and are already in great demand.

“The new funding will boost our capacity to spread the Healthbox approach in the community and bring the benefits to even more people.”