New Report CALLS ON GOVERNMENT TO IGNITE A PASSION FOR HEALTH IN YOUNG PEOPLE

TEAM NESTLÉ athlete Tom Daley INSPIRES YOUNG PEOPLE to take charge of their HEALTH  

Recommendations and findings from the Make Space for Health pilot programme, a year-long youth health programme run by national children’s charity 4Children and supported by Nestlé UK are released today.

The ground breaking report calls on Government to recognise the campaign’s success and invest in a new inspirational programme at a national level based on the Make Space for Health model.  The programme has been piloted in Leeds, Essex and York with impressive results. The campaign’s proposals are designed to motivate young people to improve their health through inspirational activities, delivered in their community and through youth clubs.

Why does it matter?

• One in ten 16-25 year olds report they feel that life is meaningless[i]
• Being obese at 18 increases the risk of early death by a third[ii]
• Only 33% of boys eat fruit daily[iii]
• Only 9% of 15 year old girls undertake recommended levels of exercise[iv]
• 84% of young people say they would get help if it was made fun and available in youth clubs[v]

Backed by a panel of academic, youth and health experts, the far reaching report calls on Government to fund a number of schemes designed to get young people tuned into their health:

1.       Step-up national priority for young people’s health.

Young people’s health needs to be made a central priority for Government through its Change4Life campaign, backed up by a robust Government health promotion programme and local Primary Care Trust programmes for young people.

2.       Establish local strategic partnerships.

Local Strategic Young People’s Health Partnerships to be established in every area, to assess need and deliver joined up health support.

3.        Take health to young people.

Roll out Make Space for Health programme resources and youth worker training – creating new young people’s health schemes built around interactive modules as tested in pilots. Provide enhanced advice and information on mental health, drugs and alcohol through youth centres, backed up by new Young People’s Health Visitors.

4.        Help families to improve young people’s health.

New support for families including guides: Creative Cook-ins and lifestyle sessions for both teenagers and parents.

5.        Work better with schools and other youth settings.

Make the health of young people a key part of the new 21st Century Schools approach.

6.       Build emotional resilience.

Local Area Strategies for Wellbeing to be created and delivered, with new mental health services review guidelines and more early intervention services where needed – including named well-being advisors.

7.       Tackle the difficult issues.

Create a new comprehensive framework specifically bringing together and tackling health support for all young people, including those who are vulnerable and hard to reach.

The campaign’s Advisory Group is chaired by renowned doctor, and writer, Dr Miriam Stoppard.

Dr Miriam Stoppard, renowned doctor, businesswoman and writer, said: “Helping teenagers to understand and take control of their health in a much more hands-on way is what Make Space for Health is all about. This crucial and timely campaign has highlighted the huge difference that engaging young people in creative ways can make in delivering positive health messages. It is now a personal mission of mine to ensure that Government listens to these findings and gives the young people’s health agenda the commitment and energy it deserves.”

Nestlé UK has teamed up with a squad of best in class British athletes to support them in their training over the next four years.   As part of this partnership Tom Daley and his fellow Team Nestlé athletes have been working to inspire Nestlé employees and their families to get active and lead healthier lifestyles.

Tom Daley, UK diving champion and Team Nestlé athlete said: “Keeping fit and healthy is really important for everyone. A lot of people my age aren’t really into the traditional sports that you get offered at school so I think it’s a great idea to be able to try different activities that will keep you equally fit that are available outside of school in youth clubs.”

Impressive results from pilots

For the past year, Make Space for Health has been testing fun and accessible health and lifestyle programmes in youth clubs focusing on healthy eating, physical activity and mental and emotional health through a series of modules delivered in youth clubs entitled EAT, MOVE and FEEL.  The modules were developed in conjunction with the British Nutrition Foundation.

Campaign pilots from Make Space for Health, run in partnership with local authorities in Leeds, Essex and York, have shown dramatic results with youth workers rating the FEEL module as excellent. The young people were just as keen with 85% saying they liked the module and all saying that it was easy to understand. 56% felt that the module inspired them to find out more about feeling good. 

Feedback from the EAT and MOVE modules was also positive, revealing that the EAT module made 44% of young people want to do more about being healthy while 62% said that the MOVE module made them want to do more about getting fit.  52% now think that being healthy is an important issue for them compared with 39% before. Levels of self-esteem were also boosted with 30% reporting feeling happy with their appearance compared with 20% before.

A survey of young people in Make Space for Health pilot youth clubs showed that 34% of young people turn to youth workers for advice on how to have a healthy lifestyle, compared with 29% who seek advice from their parents, 25% from their teachers, 24% TV programmes and 20% from websites. 

Anne Longfield OBE, Chief Executive of 4Children said: “Having listened to young people’s views over the last 12 months, it has become clear that a committed new approach is needed to fire up young people’s enthusiasm for healthy living. It has been evident throughout this campaign that when engaged in fun and attention grabbing ways, young people want to be healthier and enjoy learning about the difference good nutrition and regular exercise can have on their lives. We now need to make sure that our recommendations are listened to by policy makers and make a real difference to the health of future generations for years to come.”

Paul Grimwood, CEO of Nestlé UK said: “We are proud to have been working with Make Space since 2002, helping them establish a network of over 1,200 youth clubs.  This report highlights the urgent need to inspire more young people to take an interest in improving their health.  Globally we have launched the Nestlé Healthy Kids programme which brings together programmes from all over the world to share expertise about the best ways to improve the health of young people – Make Space is a great example of that in action.”

For more information on Make Space for Health and the full report visit www.makespace.org.uk.

Make Space for Health Campaign:

Over the last 12 months, Make Space for Health has brought together all those with a responsibility for young people’s health in pilot areas across the country to help ensure that teenage community health activities are co-ordinated.  The campaign has also been providing fun and accessible health and lifestyle programmes in youth clubs focusing on healthy eating, physical activity and mental and emotional health. The programme has been provided through a series of modules delivered in youth clubs entitled EAT, MOVE and FEEL.

Make Space for Health aims to help young people in out of school settings such as youth clubs and holds particular benefit for young people who may not have access to support through more traditional health or school settings. It has been developed with the support of an advisory panel of academic, health and Government experts, chaired by Dr Miriam Stoppard.

Make Space for Health has been piloted in three Government pathfinder areas: Essex, Leeds and York.

Make Space for Health was developed following the startling revelation from the Make Space youth consultation that 60% of teenagers do not know where to go to access health advice. With new findings from the World Health Organisation stating that in England only 9% of 15 year old girls undertake recommended levels of exercise and only 33% of boys eat fruit daily[vi], the programme provides a practical programme of community health education for young people.

Make Space is a £4million campaign that was launched in 2002 by national charity 4Children, with the support of Nestlé. Make Space is a campaign with a clear mission to transform opportunities for young people in England with the development of a new network of contemporary out of school clubs for 11 to 16 year olds, providing exciting places to go and things to do. There are over 1200 Make Space clubs. Building on existing good practice, the campaign aspires to raise standards still further in meeting the needs of young people. Through lobbying, campaigning and development, Make Space seeks to revolutionise the youth offer in this country.

4Children is the national charity dedicated to creating opportunities and building futures for all children. It aspires to ensure that all children, young people and families have access to a creative, safe and child focused environment, and activities. 4Children provides an information line for parents and childcare professionals with advice and support on all aspects of childcare, including details of out of school clubs in your area. For more information see: www.4Children.org.uk

Nestlé UK  - From 2007, Nestlé has focussed its community investment around the company’s key strategy of nutrition, health and wellness and is using its 140 year nutritional history expertise to increase nutrition, health and wellness awareness among youth workers and promote healthy lifestyles to young people in an out of school setting.

Nestlé UK has teamed up with a squad of best in class British athletes to support them in their training over the next four years.  The athletes have been working with Nestlé as part of its Employee Wellness programme to help inspire employees and their families to get active and lead a healthier lifestyle. 

The Team Nestle squad includes Olympic sprint cycling champion Victoria Pendleton, Olympic rowing gold medallist Peter Reed, world class wheelchair athlete Shelly Woods and UK diving champion Tom Daley.  The four athletes are mentored by Sir Matthew Pinsent, one of Great Britain’s most successful athletes of all time.

The Nestlé Healthy Kids Global Programme works to improve the nutrition, health and wellness of children age 4 to 16 through better eating, greater physical activity, and other key health measures such as hygiene.  The programme builds on Nestlé’s existing base of over 30 education programmes - which currently reach over 10 million children each year. By the end of 2011, the programme will extend to all countries where Nestlé has operations (over 100).

Nestlé UK has approximately 5,000 employees across 15 sites and comprises: Nestlé UK (Food & Beverage and Confectionery) Nestlé Professional, Nestlé Purina Petcare, Nestlé Waters, Cereal Partners UK (a joint venture with General Mills) and Lactalis-Nestlé Chilled Dairy (a joint venture with Lactalis). For more information on Nestlé in the UK, click on the following link www.nestle.co.uk