13 Mar 2019 Blackburn with Darwen hosts first Healthy Weight Summit
Food Active was pleased to attend Blackburn with Darwen’s first healthy weight summit at Ewood Park on Wednesday 13 March.
The ‘Making Healthy Weight Everyone’s Business’ event saw Local Government partners, including Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool Councils, join forces with Blackburn with Darwen Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), Public Health England and Food Active.
Chaired by Blackburn with Darwen Council’s Executive Member for Health and Adult Social Care, Councillor Brian Taylor, the morning of the summit saw speakers from the various organisations talking on a range of issues including the national perspective on healthy weight, healthy weight in Blackburn with Darwen and ways to make healthy weight everyone’s responsibility. Our Food and Nutrition Lead, Alex Holt, presented the declaration to delegates, including a history, update and information about some of the other areas of work we are involved in.
The event marks two years since the Council signed the Local Government Declaration on Healthy Weight, back in 2017, and later became the first local authority to sign the CCG up to the declaration just a few months later.
The afternoon session saw workshops taking place to develop the vision for the recently announced Childhood Obesity Trailblazer Programme, which is being funded by the Department of Health and Social Care and managed by the Local Government Association. The trailblazer aims to find local and innovative solutions for tackling obesity, and Food Active is pleased to be supporting the council on the delivery of the community engagement and insight work, that will be used to inform the final application.
The local commitments have included promoting active travel with the launch of the Weavers Wheel; supporting the Daily Mile scheme and food policies for Primary Schools; food and physical activity policies and support for early years settings; creation of a Food Alliance for BwD to address food poverty and food sustainability and working towards the borough’s designation as a Breastfeeding Friendly Borough and a Sugar Smart Borough.
Alex Holt, Food and Nutrition Lead at Food Active said:
“We are really pleased to be part of a great event here today in Blackburn with Darwen, showcasing some of the fantastic work the council is doing to help their population reach and maintain a healthy weight – and this is just the start of more exciting things to come in the Borough. We are also delighted to be supporting councils across Pennine Lancashire on the community engagement and insight work for the Childhood Obesity Trailblazer, and we are confident that their proposal has what it takes to stand out and secure the three year’s funding.”
Councillor Brian Taylor said:
“A healthy weight is an essential foundation for physical, emotional and social wellbeing. Along with partners from across the borough and beyond, we have made various commitments to support residents to eat well, shape up, move more and live healthier lives and this healthy weight summit – which I was delighted to chair – was all part of our ongoing focus in that area.”
Dr Penny Morris, Medical Director, Blackburn with Darwen CCG, added
“We are proud to be working with our partners to support local people to lead healthier lifestyles. I am passionate that children have a healthy start in life so I am particularly delighted that we are actively taking action to reduce childhood obesity.”
