All Flintshire secondary schools are this week participating in an exciting new initiative where young people will be trained by dietitians from the Wrexham Maelor Hospital to become School Food Ambassadors.
The initiative is a part of Flintshire’s commitment to the Welsh Assembly Government’s ‘Appetite for Life’ action plan which focuses on improving the nutritional standards of food and drinks provided in schools across Wales. The School Food Ambassador training will give young people the opportunity to increase their knowledge and skills on healthy eating so that they can pass on important messages to friends and other pupils in school.
A special event for the twelve participating schools is being held on Monday 22 November at St David’s Park Hotel, Ewloe. Pupils will be taught about healthy eating through fun educational games and activities, so that after the event they can go back to their schools and be positive role models, sharing what they have learnt with younger pupils. Schools attending the event will also be given copies of a new toolkit produced by the dietitians. Representatives from the Flintshire Healthy Schools Team will also be supporting the event.
Alys Roberts, Dietitian from the Wrexham Maelor Hospital, who is leading the training, said:
“Appetite for Life is all about encouraging a whole school approach to promoting healthy eating and it’s vital that we involve young people in this. All too often we hear about the negative effects peer pressure can have when it comes to making food and other lifestyle choices in school. The School Food Ambassador training focuses on promoting positive yet simple messages about food amongst young people, giving them the confidence to choose and enjoy the healthier choices on offer.”
