The Towards 2010 healthy eating projects

Introduction

In October 2005 Paul Carter was appointed Leader of Kent County Council (KCC). One of his priorities was to publish Towards 2010 which set out how Kent County Council would deliver on seven key areas:

• Increased prosperity for Kent through business growth and job creation
  
• Transformation in education
  
• Reduced traffic congestion
  
• Improved health and quality of life
  
• Quality homes in a well managed environment
  
• A safer Kent
  
• Continued improvements in services while keeping council tax down

The pilots

Under the area of ‘improved health and quality of life’ Towards 2010 proposed a number of key actions. One was to:

Encourage healthy eating by providing nutritious lunches through the “Healthy Schools” programme and launch a range of community-based healthy eating pilots. (Towards 2010, Number 51)

A number of healthy eating pilots were developed with partners around community chefs, a school cookery competition, fruit and veg bag schemes, a healthy eating training programme for professionals and increasing school meal uptake.    

See Towards 2010 background paper and Participant information leaflet for more detail on the pilots.

Following these pilots a number of resources and guides have been developed to help commissioners and practitioners in the community, health and education settings wishing to set up similar healthy eating projects.  The resources are listed under the separate projects:

• Recipes for success (community chefs and cooking competitions)
• Its in the bag! (fruit and veg bag schemes)
• The perfect packed lunch (healthy eating training)
• Increasing school meal uptake
• Small steps 4 life

Watch the video below for an overview of the projects in action:

Evaluation

The aim of the healthy eating pilots was to improve healthy eating knowledge and awareness, and change attitudes and behaviour of families with the greatest health needs.  The pilots were evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively to understand which pilot or pilots would be the most effective at changing the healthy eating habits of the families. The pilots aimed to work with families but particularly parents and carers who are key influencers on the healthy eating knowledge, attitudes and behaviour of a family.

• Evaluation of the Towards 2010 healthy eating pilots
• Presentation: A Summary of Findings from the Evaluation of the Kent Healthy Eating Pilots by BMG Research

• Small Steps, Big Changes: How community-based healthy eating initiatives contribute to the health and well being of communities in Kent