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Community diet schemes win awards in Wales

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More winners have been announced in the FSA Wales (UK) 'Awards for Food Action Locally' scheme, which recognises individual or team initiatives that have made a positive impact on diet or eating habits in the community.

Awards were given in five categories, for schemes that: inform or educate the community; promote or facilitate access and availability; manage overweight and obesity; demonstrate multi-agency working; or are innovative in their approach.

The award for 'initiatives that inform or educate the community' was won by the 4 Seazons Kitchen, in the Cwmbran Centre for Young People. The Kitchen tackles poor diets and eating habits among disadvantaged and disaffected young people in the Torfaen area through cooking classes, an allotment scheme and a cafe serving cheap and nutritious food.

The 'access and availability' category was won by the Marham Community House Sports and Leisure Project, which provides a lunch club and community cafe offering healthy balanced meals to people living and working in the locality. The project also includes an allotment scheme with produce used by community cafe and cooking courses for 5-11 year olds.

In the category covering 'initiatives to manage overweight and obesity', the winning project was the Heart Health Programme run by the Rhondda Cynon Taff Health Promotion Team, which targets 30-65 year olds identified as having modifiable risk factors for coronary heart disease.

The fourth category, for 'initiatives that demonstrate multi-agency working', was won by the Funky Food Group run by Lynn Perry of Pembrokeshire Public Health Team. The Funky Food Group has raised the profile of nutrition in schools through co-operation between teachers, pupils and caterers. It has also been instrumental in ten schools establishing School Nutrition Action Groups that make policy decisions on fruit tuck shops, water bottles and healthy lunchboxes.

The final category, covering 'initiatives that are innovative in their approach', was won by the Domino Project run by West Glamorgan Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse.

To continue reading this article please go to The Food Standards Agency Website (UK)

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