Youngsters are staying healthy this summer thanks to dietitians who are supporting the all-Wales roll out of the School Holiday Enrichment Programme (SHEP), Food and Fun.

Food and Fun is a quality-assured, school-based scheme that provides healthy meals, food and nutrition education, physical activity and enrichment sessions to children in areas of social deprivation in Wales.

Latest figures show 29.5 per cent of children aged 4-5 living in north Wales are classified as either overweight or obese (Child Measurement Programme, 2018), with higher prevalence seen in more deprived communities.

Figures also show that 28 per cent of children are living in poverty in Wales (Welsh Government, 2018).

Encouraging children from a young age to develop good eating habits that they can take through life is essential.

Offering education about food and nutrition in a fun and interactive way helps children and their families to build knowledge and confidence to make healthy choices and enjoy eating nutritious food together.

This scheme has been in place at Ysgol Glancegin in Maesgeirchen, Bangor, this summer and has seen a number of children attend along with their parents.

Beverley Fisher, public health dietitian for Gwynedd and Anglesey, said: “We’ve been working closely with local Healthy Schools teams and have facilitated accredited nutrition training for teaching assistants and teachers and put together lots of educational nutrition games and activities to play with the children in the Food and Fun sessions.

“Over the long summer holidays some families struggle to afford or access food that provides a healthy diet and some children may feel isolated and miss out on the intellectual stimulation school provides in term time.

“I am extremely proud of the collaborative work between Ysgol Glancegin and Gwynedd Council Education Department in their support of the scheme that helps to bridge this gap during the summer.”

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