Law firms brief kids on keeping fit
REPRESENTATIVES of Birmingham’s professional services community joined forces to support an initiative designed to encourage children to keep fit.
Companies including PricewaterhouseCoopers, Chartis Insurance, Pinsent Masons, Hammonds and Beechcroft together with AF Blakemore & Son, Hadley Group and Muller Dairy took part in the sessions, Fit 4 Fun, which involved more than 250 children from nine schools.
Organised by Business in the Community (BITC), the interactive sessions took place in Birmingham, Tipton and Shropshire with the aim of showing 11-12 year-olds some of the things they can do to lead a healthy lifestyle.
Frances Wienholt, of Business in the Community, said: “Fit 4 Fun is an excellent example of companies and schools working together to address a really big social issue.
“There is a real need to make sure young people are taught about healthy eating and the benefits of keeping fit at an early age and this is exactly what we were looking to do with these events.”
She said the events had had the added benefit of enabling businesses to form closer links with their local schools.
Tipton Sports Academy was the venue for the first event, with joint sponsors AF Blakemore & Son and the Hadley Group working with volunteers from Mansell Construction, Corus, Carillion and Midcounties Co-operative putting on a host of activities.
Around 110 pupils from Wallbrook Primary, RSA Academy, Alexandra High, Heathfield College and Menzies High School were involved.
At the same time more than 20 volunteers from Muller Dairy in Shropshire worked with 65 pupils from Sir John Talbot’s Technology College on nutrition quiz and fruit salad obstacle race.
The final event was at Birmingham City University where 40 volunteers from PwC, Chartis Insurance, Pinsent Masons, Hammonds and Beechcroft staged a number of activities for Small Heath School, Holte School and Frankley Community High School.
“Fit 4 Fun has been really well supported by local businesses and we believe it will have a long-lasting impact on making sure young people learn to live healthy, enjoy a balanced diet and want to keep fit,” added Ms Wienholt.
