Pioneering
approaches to tackling childhood obesity are to be spearheaded by a specially
selected group of councils which have been announced.
The Childhood
Obesity Trailblazer Programme sees 13 local authorities from across the country
shortlisted from a total of 102 applications to trial new approaches in their
communities, with a particular focus on reducing the ‘deprivation gap’.
More than one in
five children are already overweight or obese on entering Reception, which
rises to one in three in Year 6. Children from the most deprived areas are more
than twice as likely to be obese and more than four times as likely to be
severely obese than those from the most affluent.
Each council will
receive initial funding of £10,000 for the discovery phase with support to
develop a detailed proposal for the full three-year programme. Up to five of
these will then be selected to become ‘trailblazer’ authorities to put their
plans into action, with £100,000 worth of funding and project support each
year. The results of each will then be used to share learning and best practice
to encourage greater action on a wider scale.
Cllr Ian Hudspeth,
Chairman of the Local Government Association’s Community Wellbeing Board, said:
“Childhood obesity remains one the most serious challenges facing local
authorities, who have responsibility for public health, and for society more
widely.
“This three-year
trailblazer programme, managed by the LGA and funded by the Department of
Health and Social Care with support from Public Health England, will see
councils take the lead in developing new and innovative projects to tackle this
epidemic at a local level, making a real difference in their communities.
“No child should be
at a disadvantage in life because of where they are from and this programme
aims to support councils to reduce this gap, with a view to preventing children
from becoming obese in the first place and able to live healthy and fulfilling
lives.”
The funded 12-week
discovery phase will start in early February and all councils who initially
submitted expressions of interest have been invited to join the Trailblazing
Learning Network, which will give them access to forums, support materials and
the latest learning from the programme. Councils that would like to be included
in the network should email copt@local.gov.uk
The councils are:
- Bath & North East
Somerset Council
- Birmingham City Council
- Blackburn with Darwen Council
- City of Bradford Metropolitan
District Council
- London Borough of Havering
- London Borough of Lewisham
- Middlesbrough Council
- North Tyneside Council
- North Yorkshire County
Council
- Nottinghamshire County
Council
- Peterborough City Council
- Rochdale Borough Council
- Walsall Council
