Free Fruit for children attending appointments at Children's Outpatients' Departments
Free Fruit for Children
Enabling children in such settings to access a free piece of fruit contributes to their overall vitamin, mineral and fibre intake. Furthermore it supports the normalisation and accessibility of fruit as a snack, and it could displace consumption of a less nutritious snack that may be high in sugar, fat, and/ or salt.
Intro
The Public Service Board agreed a set of actions focused on creating a place where we can all thrive, be happy and be healthy both now and in the future. A key focus is placed on getting organisations and individuals to think and act differently, and to talk and listen with each other for the benefit of local communities. One of the initial objectives for the plan includes ‘people are able to make healthy choices’.
Following on from the success of a national retailers approach to offering a free piece of fruit for children coming into their stores, an action was formulated as part of the Wellbeing Plan to explore options for other public settings to make a similar offer.
Between 900 and 1,000 children and young people come through the children’s outpatients' departments across North Wales each week; that's up to 48,000 families using the service throughout the year. A partnership with the health board's catering teams will enable efficient delivery of required fruit portions on a regular basis to the departments as well as ensure quality control.
To progress the action a partnership was formed between Public Health Dietetics, BCUHB catering, Paediatric staff within children’s outpatients, and the BCUHB charity, Awyr Las.
Need
Currently in Wales 26.4% of 4-5 year olds when they commence school, are above a healthy weight. In North Wales this figure is 30.3%, the highest of all Welsh Health Boards (PHW, 2019). Furthermore, on average our children are not meeting the public health recommendation of eating 5 portions a day of fruit and vegetables. Typically most children consume between 2-3 portions a day at most, with national surveys indicating a number of children consuming no fruit or vegetables on some days.
Benefits
Enabling children in such settings to access a free piece of fruit contributes to their overall vitamin, mineral and fibre intake. Furthermore it supports the normalisation and accessibility of fruit as a snack, and it could displace consumption of a less nutritious snack that may be high in sugar, fat, and/ or salt.
Impact
💜 Child:
Yay! Really good idea. I love bananas.
💜 Parent:
Fantastic idea. Great healthy snack.
💜 Nurse:
Really good idea. Will help with diet and healthy eating promotion.
Fabulous idea encouraging healthy eating and a little snack if you need to wait. Please continue!
How can you help?
- £50 will help fund a week's worth of fruit for one Children's Outpatients' Department
- £150 will help to fund a weeks's worth of free fruit for Children's Outpatients' Departments across North Wales.
- £2,000 will fund a year's worth of fruit for a Children's Outpatients' Department within your chosen region; East (Wrexham Maelor) Central (Ysbyty Glan Clwyd) or West (Ysbyty Gwynedd)
- £6,000 to become a sponsor of the initiative for 12 months across North Wales; Children's Outpatients' Departments in East (Wrexham Maelor), Central (Ysbyty Glan Clwyd) and West (Ysbyty Gwynedd)
- 'Charity of the Year' - select this appeal with a target to fund a year's worth of free fruit for Children's Outpatients' Departments
