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Bradford Healthy Eating

Healthy Eating Programme for Bradford ECS

"CragRats developed a performance concept that was perfect and every performance was a success with the children and teachers. Meal sales in all schools improved, despite a sickness bug which had broken out in Bradford and affected many children. Due to the success of the programme, ECS is now rolling it out to all schools in the Bradford region and we are confident that this activity will achieve the key objectives of promoting healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle and to increase meal sales. We were extremely pleased with CragRats and their amazing team of people and look forward to working with them again."

Emma Kirkaldy, Smart Association – on behalf of ECS

/challenge

CragRats was contracted to deliver an education programme designed to deliver key messages in relation to healthy eating and exercise and to encourage young people to eat healthy school meals. The objective was to increase understanding amongst young people of the difference between healthy and unhealthy foods. This would allow them to make informed and sensible decisions about what they eat.

/approach

The programme was piloted within 10 primary schools in Bradford, offering a lively and thought-provoking performance following the activities of three young friends at school and at home. Using larger than life imagery, one of the characters, as a result of eating a junk food diet, turned into a burger. The physical restraints of the burger costume mirrored the limitations which could face young people who follow an unhealthy lifestyle. With the encouragement of his friends and the realisation of the effects of not eating a balanced diet, the character was able to make positive changes to return to a healthy body and a more fun lifestyle.

Interactive workshop exercises following the performance were used to embed the learning points and provoke thought through interaction. Comprehensive teaching materials, containing schemes of work, continued the young people's learning on this subject.

/results

• 96% learned something new about healthy eating
• 99% said that they would do new things including eating more fresh fruit
• The programme highlighted the positive effects of eating healthy foods and being active
• The young people were better able to understand the long term benefits of a healthy diet
• Young people were able to identify which foods should be eaten in moderation and how eating too much junk food would impact on them

Student Comments

• “I will try not to eat a bar of chocolate each day and I will eat 5 fruits a day. My body will feel a lot more energetic and I will run around with my friends even more.”
• “I learned all about healthy things. I am going to tell my mum all about it and ask her to make me more healthy food.”

Teacher Comments

• “Very good information, especially the worksheets to use in classrooms. I will use these as follow up. Play excellent. Workshops very good. Well done!”

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