School children to experience healthy heart venture with Ospreys in the Community.
Ospreys in the Community, the not for profit, independent Foundation that works in partnership with Ospreys Rugby, has been awarded over £8,000 by National charity Heart Research UK and SUBWAY® stores to fund a year-long project promoting healthy heart initiatives.
The award will enable Ospreys in the Community to initially deliver a healthy liviing programme to over 900 pupils from 30 schools across the Ospreylian region, in Bridgend, Neath Port Talbot and Swansea County Borough Council areas. Should it prove successful, the aim will be to expand the number of schools involved.
The programme will provide pupils with the opportunity to learn about healthy hearts, nutrition and activity whilst visiting whilst visiting the Liberty Stadium. It involves two sessions linking the stadium and the classroom, giving children a mixture of educational and physical activity sessions highlighting the risks of eating an unhealthy diet whilst being inactive and the effect this will have on their hearts.
During the sessions the children will be introduced to the Ospreys app through the use of tablets, aimed at improving their digital literacy. Activities on the app include fun questionnaires to assess learning and mindset in an informal educational mindset.
By linking the Ospreys app and marketing tools, Ospreys in the Community will send information to the children’s parents after the programme, encouraging them to complete questionnaires about their knowledge and behaviour towards healthy lifestyle choices, in an effort to improve the lifestyle choices of local families in the Ospreylian region.
At the end of the programme, Ospreys in the Community aid the participating children in taking away their knowledge of healthier lifestyles and are given a digital cookbook and pledge to encourage them to spread their knowledge with their family and friends.
Paul Whapham, Foundation Manager, Ospreys in the Community, said:
“Ospreys in the Community are delighted to be receiving this support via a Healthy Heart Grant from Heart Research UK and SUBWAY® stores .
“The grant will enable us to run this programme which will educate over 900 primary school children in the Ospreylia region on the importance of living a healthy lifestyle and how they can apply new skills and materials to share with their family and friends.
“It is a project which can help to make a huge difference to how local youngsters live their lives on a day to day basis.”
Heart Research UK National Director, Barbara Harpham, said:
“One of the aims of our Healthy Heart Grants scheme is to help people of all abilities to improve their heart health, and the OitC Primary Education Programme project is aiming to achieve that. It’s important for children to understand all they can about healthy lifestyles, to help them live healthier, happier and longer lives.”
Roger Cusa, Head of Marketing for the SUBWAY® brand in UK and Ireland, said:
“The SUBWAY® brand is delighted to be able to help fund this worthwhile initiative which helps children to live healthier lifestyles. SUBWAY® stores nationwide have enjoyed fundraising and it’s great to see local community initiatives such as this come to fruition as a result of the money generously donated by our customers both in store and at fundraising events, like our popular SUBWAY® Helping Hearts™ Family 5K series.”
