Colchester FITC Launch New Scheme
Thanks to Colchester United, and the Colchester FITC (Football In the Community) team, 700 Key Stage 2 Children, across 9 schools within Colchester and North East Essex, will be learning about the dangers of poor lifestyle choices and healthy hearts.
Heart Research UK and SUBWAY®, have awarded £8,500 to the Colchester FITC Scheme, which will fund a new project that will educate young people in local schools about heart health, imparting knowledge and awareness that will be of great benefit to the children for the rest of their lives!
Beginning this month, ‘Cardio-Active’, the six-month project, will also cover preventative measures like interpreting food labels so that heart health becomes an essential part of day to day life. Children will also learn about the benefits of exercise as part of six, hour-long Healthy Heart workshops and linked sports activities. As well as getting them more active at school, the project will help to increase physical activity by challenging pupils to move about for at least a mile a day throughout the session by walking or jogging. They will be asked to keep a log of this and at least one walk a week be with a family member to increase parent or sibling involvement.
The Colchester FITC Manager Corin Haines is delighted with the project, adding that “the importance of heart health and reducing the risks of heart diseases cannot be emphasised enough and we are proud to be working towards this with local school and children in our community. As well as spending some time in the class room with these children we will be getting them active and making sure they are aware of the benefits that sport and exercise has to your health and wellbeing”.
Each participating child will receive a workbook, which will feature a Colchester United players to keep it fun and engaging, as well as promoting positive role models for the children.
To conclude the project, a matchday celebration event will take place on Saturday 16th April at the club’s Weston Homes Community Stadium, where children and their families will be challenged to move a mile during half-time of the match. Health checks will also be offered to attending parents in the family concourse.
Heart Research UK National Director, Barbara Harpham, said: “It’s great to see Colchester United Football in the Community helping hearts of young people living near them, learning good habits that will last them a lifetime.
“This project will also bring children and their families together and help people to live healthier, happier and longer lives”.
