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Thursday
14 February 2005
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| Pupils RI:SE and SHINE for Valentine Days |
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| Donaghmore Primary School has used a special valentine’s breakfast to promote nutritional eating amongst its pupils. Pupils, staff and parents were given the special treat as part of their involvement in the RI:SE and SHINE Breakfast Club Initiative. |
Donaghmore Primary School is one of five local schools participating in the three-year programme funded by the Big Lottery. The scheme provides all children with a free, healthy breakfast every day whilst teaching them the importance of good health, nutrition and dental hygiene.
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Donaghmore Primary School is one of five local schools participating in the three-year programme funded by the Big Lottery. The scheme provides all children with a free, healthy breakfast every day whilst teaching them the importance of good health, nutrition and dental hygiene.
School Principal School Lynn Watt said: “Having a healthy breakfast can have a positive impact on children’s education, with increased energy levels resulting in better concentration. Breakfast clubs have proven to help improve attendance and punctuality of students, aid concentration, increase social interaction amongst pupils, enhance parent and teacher contact and promote a positive start which can impact on the rest of the school day.”
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Explaining the benefits of the breakfast clubs, Paula Tally , Manager of Armagh and Dungannon Health Action Zone which manages the scheme locally said: “Skipping breakfast can lead to snacking on sugary or fatty foods throughout the morning, which we all know can cause obesity and poor dental health. This project aims to promote the benefits of good nutrition and help to reduce the risks of coronary heart disease, stroke and cancer in later life.” .
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| Doris Young, Catering Manager for the Southern Education and Library Board said: “The SELB Catering Service is delighted to be a major stakeholder in this worthy project. The aim of the project is to establish regular healthy eating patterns among school-age children and to generate awareness of good nutrition with good health. If children can develop regular eating patterns and preferences for healthy food options at an early age then hopefully we will see an increasing number of our children making better food choices at lunch time. This project also illustrates the importance of multi-agency teamwork between health and education which aims to nurture a culture within our schools that promotes healthy eating and healthy lifestyles.”
The RI:SE and SHINE Breakfast Clubs initiative is being managed through the Armagh and Dungannon Health Action Zone’s Decent Food for All (DFFA) programme. This programme is tackling the causes and effects of food poverty locally and places a strong emphasis on community education, healthy lifestyle choices, regeneration of local communities and ensuring lasting sustainable approaches. The DFFA programme has been funded for a three year period by the Food Safety Promotion Board and the Food Standards Agency NI.
For further information on ‘RI:SE and SHINE’ Breakfast Clubs contact the Community Food Team at Armagh and Dungannon Health Action Zone Tel: 028 8772 9698. |
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