LOCAL KIDS ‘MOVE IT’ WITH MEND

Wed, 28 Jul 2010

A group of local youngsters took positive steps towards a fitter, healthier and happier lifestyle when they  recently participated in the MEND ‘Move It Week’.

Aged between five and thirteen, the youngsters have all previously attended the MEND Programme – a local healthy living course for children who are over a healthy weight. The Programme teaches families about healthy eating and how to enjoy physical activity, which results in participants losing weight, becoming more active, being healthier and improving their self-esteem.

During the Move It Week MEND families participated in a variety of fun games and activities. MEND parent, Elizabeth Bennett, said: “The MEND Move it session was fantastic. The MEND leaders provided a wide selection of exciting activities for the children to take part in. There was a bouncy castle which always goes down a storm with children; circus skills; wannabe pop stars, double dutch skipping and face painting. The children absolutely loved it.”

Councillor Morrice, who attended the Move It sessions, said: “This is a magnificent event provided by the innovative MEND programme in East Ayrshire. MEND is having a major impact on East Ayrshire families by empowering them to make healthy lifestyle choices.”

MEND Move It Week, coincided with National Childhood Obesity Week, and aimed to encourage East Ayrshire families to spend time being active as a family. During the week, MEND encouraged local families to:

• Schedule some time every week with their child doing something active.
• Keep a ‘screen time’ diary for a week noting how much time the family spend watching TV and playing computer games. Start by reducing TV time by 10 minutes each day.
• Create a boredom-buster box and fill it with ideas for fun activities, including some that can be done as a family. This encourages the whole family to become more active and helps to reduce ‘screen time’.

Elizabeth, who has recently become a MEND parent volunteer within Leisure Development’s Volunteer database, added: “I became a volunteer within MEND because of the positive nature of the programme. Every child receives the full enthusiasm and effort from the leaders. Sessions are fun and interesting, get children motivated and build their self esteem at the same time.  It is everything you could possibly want for your child and I wanted to be part of it!”

Harry MacMillan, Chief Executive of MEND, said: “By running the MEND Programme, East Ayrshire is taking practical action to ensure families in the area get the support they need to live healthy lives. The success of the MEND Programme is all about giving families the information they need to make healthier choices. We’re delighted that Councillor Kathy Morrice is helping the families celebrate their achievements during the MEND Move It Week”.

Due to the success of previous MEND programmes, East Ayrshire Leisure Development’s Recreation Partnership Service is running its seventh programme starting September 2010.  All sessions are FREE but spaces are limited. 

For more information on the MEND programme or if you are interested in participating, please contact Lesley Fowler, Recreation Partnership Officer on 01563 576684 or Lesley.fowler@east-ayrshire.gov.uk. 

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