Havering Council rewards nearly 70 school children with new bikes for choosing healthy eating
50 children receiving free bikes from the council after promoting the award-winning veggy app. - Credit: Archant
The lucky pupils were winners of a competition that took place through the council’s new app - Veggie Run.
50 children receiving free bikes from the council after promoting the award-winning veggy app. - Credit: Archant
Havering Council has awarded nearly 70 pupils with new bikes and helmets as part of its campaign to promote healthy eating to primary and junior school children.
The lucky pupils were winners of a competition that took place through the council’s new app - Veggie Run and were all given a new bike, helmet and Veggie Run water bottle.
Over a five week period children across Havering were invited to collect badges in the app as part of their healthy school catered lunch - once collected all participating children’s details were entered into a prize draw and a successful girl and boy from all contributing schools were awarded a new bike to promote outdoor activity.
In April this year, Havering Council launched Veggie Run, England’s first council-created app to promote healthy eating.
50 children receiving free bikes from the council after promoting the award-winning veggy app. - Credit: Archant
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The app was developed in partnership with local Havering children and has been supported by Change4Life and Quorn.
It aims to address the rising obesity epidemic in the borough and highlight the health benefits of a healthy school catered lunch.
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The app presents the newly created ‘Crunch Bunch’ characters and has been designed to appeal to children aged from 4-11 years old.
It is the first of its kind and aims to teach children to dodge unhealthy foods and earn rewards by collecting fruit and vegetables.
Users are also able to view their weekly school lunch menus and parents can purchase school meal credit via app links.
The benefit of playing the app is that children receive unique codes from their school, which will enable them to compete towards winning sports prizes for themselves and their school each term.
Trevor Cook, Assistant director for education services at the council said: “At the beginning of the summer term, we launched the app to support a healthy school catered lunch and exercise.
“As a borough we want to support all children to have to the best start in life, and by awarding nearly 70 children through Veggie Run we are able to promote the benefits of outdoor activity.”
Lisa Schaberg, Head Teacher from St Alban’s Catholic Primary School, said: “This is a lovely scheme that is making a real difference to the lives of our children and in turn their families.”
