29 Jul 2025 Pendle Health and Well-Being Partnership Adopts District Healthy Weight Declaration
Pendle Health and Well-being Partnership formally signed a declaration to promote healthy weight across the borough at a Health Summit held at FUNDALAND in Brierfield on Wednesday 25th June.
The declaration shows a commitment to reducing overweight and obesity in Pendle by helping residents to make better choices. The proportion of adults living with overweight and obesity in Pendle is 68% – this is higher than the national average in other local authorities. This figure also masks some of the associated inequalities within wards across the borough.
Developed by North West based charity, Food Active, the Declaration was first launched in 2015. Dozens of local authorities across the country have now adopted the Declaration and it continues to gain recognition as a useful tool in helping councils to promote healthy weight across organisations, services and policies.
Lancashire County Council adopted the Healthy Weight Declaration, through full cabinet agreement in 2017 and this commitment was re-affirmed by Lancashire’s Health and Well-being Board in March 2022.
The Pendle Health and Well-being Partnership is the first in England to adopt a district declaration that sets out a number of commitments that districts will support through collaboration to promote healthy weight across local communities, working in partnership with Lancashire County Council.
Organisations including Pendle Borough Council, Pendle East Primary Care Network, Pendle West Primary Care Network, representatives of Community and Voluntary Organisations and Lancashire County Council came together to place the partnerships commitment in writing by signing the declaration.
Dr Irfan Chaudry, Clinical Director Pendle West Primary Care Network and Chair of Pendle Health and Well-being Partnership, said:
“Signing the declaration as a Health & Well-being Partnership is the right approach in Pendle. By working collectively to review our services and policies to shape healthier environments alleviates pressure from the NHS and Social Care Service, whilst supporting our local communities to live well.”
Cllr Mohammad Hanif, Lead Member for Health and Well-being at Pendle Borough Council, said:
“Promoting healthy weight across Pendle is a key priority for us. 39% of children in the borough are living with overweight or obesity by the time they start secondary school.”
“It is important to have such a commitment to healthy weight at a district level, to work with a range of organisations to ensure healthy weight is included in all policies. I’m really pleased that the partnership has taken this positive step.”
Dr Sakthi Karunanithi, Director of Public Health Well-being and Communities at Lancashire County Council said:
“This demonstrates a commitment across partnerships led through local government action in making Pendle a healthy place, reaching into and working with communities to improve quality of life for all’.
“This is about the benefits for Lancashire and Pendle in particular and creating the right conditions for people to thrive.”
Robin Ireland, Research Director at Food Active and the lead for this project, said:
“Congratulations to Pendle Health and Well-being Partnership for taking this stand.”
“We all know how difficult it is to make the right choices when we are surrounded by unhealthy food, the wrong advertising messages and when sugary drinks are cheaper than water. I am delighted that Pendle Health and Well-being Partnership is doing everything they can to help their residents, workers and pupils eat healthier.”
“I hope other districts will follow Pendle’s example”.
Image taken at the HWD event. Pictured from left to right: Simon Gwynne, CEO of Pendle Leisure Trust; Michelle Brides, Public Health Specialist, Lancashire County Council; Lisa Murray, Senior Public Health Practitioner, Lancashire County Council; Cllr Mohammad Hanif, Lead Member for Health and Well-being at Pendle Borough Council; Tracey Noon, Operations Manager of Burnley Pendle Rossendale CVS; Danielle Thorpe, Programme Officer, Pendle Borough Council; Gill Dickson, Policy and Programme Manager, Pendle Borough Council; Dr Robin Ireland, Director of Research, Food Active; Nicola Calder, Food Active Programme Lead.
