A COMMUNITY has come together to celebrate Westminster Primary achieving National Healthy School Status (NHSS).
Partner organisations joined parents, pupils and staff at the John Street school to honour the achievement, which aims to make kids as healthy as possible.
West Cheshire Primary Care Trust, Cheshire police, the borough and county councils, School Sports Partnerships and the EPIC leisure centre teamed up to offer a range of activities recognising their successful partnership working in the borough helping schools to achieve NHSS.
Everyone who attended the day enjoyed the activities at an after-school event including cycling, healthy eating and exercise.
Organisers used the marked Golden Mile in the school playground to highlight MEND (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition, Do-it). This is a new healthy lifestyle programme offering free courses for overweight children and young people aged 7-13 and their families in the borough, based at the EPIC.
There was also a fruit-tasting session, encouraging children and their families to create their own fruit kebabs, with fruit donated by Ellesmere Port Sainsbury’s.
And building on the school’s successful travel plan, developed with the county council, the Bike Doctor helped pupils carry out a maintenance check on their bikes and Cheshire police arranged for them to be ID-stamped to deter thieves.
Health promotion specialist Jo Briggs, of West Cheshire Primary Care Trust, said the school has previously offered pupils bike lessons, but the trainer has left and they urge anyone who can help to contact them.
The NHSS programme is a long-term initiative making a significant difference to improving the health and achievements of children and young people.
It is a partnership between health and education which supports and emphasises the links between good health, behaviour and achievement.
Through adopting a whole-school approach, the NHSS scheme aims to create happier, healthier children.
