Scheme to make Suffolk's kids fittest
A GROUNDBREAKING scheme which aims to make Suffolk's children the fittest in the country was launched yesterday.Every primary-aged pupil in the county now has the chance to get their hands on free activity items as part of the Healthy Ambitions Suffolk Challenge.
A GROUNDBREAKING scheme which aims to make Suffolk's children the fittest in the country was launched yesterday.
Every primary-aged pupil in the county now has the chance to get their hands on free activity items as part of the Healthy Ambitions Suffolk Challenge.
The scheme aims to get all of Suffolk's 50,000 kids to be the healthiest in the UK by 2012, with children encouraged to be active for an hour a day every day.
Olympians and Paralympians from the county who took part in last year's games in Beijing were joined at the launch by Ipswich Town chairman David Sheepshanks.
Suffolk County Council chief executive Andrea Hill was also at the launch. She said: 'It is a fantastic day. It is a result of many months of work and several partnerships across Suffolk. There is so much enthusiasm here and we are going to use the power of the Olympic Games to inspire children to get fitter.'
Every primary school pupil in Suffolk is invited to take part in the challenge, and each one that does will receive a free activity item, such as a frisbee, kite, ball or skipping rope.
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The scheme will see activity cards given out to children, demonstrating how they can incorporate exercise into their lives.
Great Britain hockey international Jo Ellis, who plays for Ipswich Hockey Club, said: 'I think anything that is going to promote children being more active is fantastic.
'Anything that will get them outside and leading healthy lifestyles and meeting friends as opposed to staying inside playing computer games has got to be positive.'
A new website which forms part of the main Healthy Ambitions Suffolk website was also launched yesterday. It has been split into three areas - families, juniors aged 11 and under and teens aged 12 to 18. The site can be accessed from the homepage of the main Healthy Ambitions Suffolk website at www.healthyambitionssuffolk.nhs.uk.
