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Scottish Borders School Holiday Programme update

Health & Wellbeing Nutrition, Physical Activity & Family Learning

Children & Families have enjoyed a range of fun filled activities during the summer holidays across Burnfoot, Langlee, Selkirk & Eyemouth, making the most of quality time off and tapping into the very best of what is available in their communities.  Programmes have been developed in consultation with parents and supported by volunteers and many partners, including local business.  This year’s programmes were further enhanced through a new relationship with Scottish Borders Council suppliers, Brakes Scotland and George Carruthers & Son through community benefit clauses with their council contracts.

Programmes, while different in each locality, included good food sessions, physical activity opportunities and family learning activities.  Produce from Brakes and Carruthers enabled participants, volunteers and staff to create healthier breakfasts, snacks and packed lunches with a wide variety of tasty fresh fruit options available daily.  Access to regular produce from these suppliers ensured that local costs were minimised, this demonstrates the strengths of partnership working.  The Eyemouth summer programme was also supported by Oblo who provided food and a qualified chef who rose to the challenge of involving children and families in the preparation of some really hearty meals.

Activities were a mix of indoor and outdoor sessions and included breakfast, dance sessions, walks, gymnastics, cookery sessions, arts and crafts, beach days, trips to Dunbar & Border Berries, couch to 5K, junk modelling, scavenger hunt, family picnics, a cinema trip and free play.

Feedback from participants was positive, one participant commented on how much they had enjoyed being with other adults over the summer break as well as having had a great deal of fun with the young people.

Another parent commented “My son has just tried aubergine and sweet potato for the first time ever – because he helped to chop it up!”

Summer programmes were led by Scottish Borders Council Community Learning & Development Team, NHS Borders Joint Health Improvement Team, LIVE Borders, Early Years Centres, Police Scotland, Third Sector partners and supported by local and national business.  The partnership are looking forward to strengthening their relationship with Brakes Brothers and Carruthers to ensure programmes continue to build on the success experienced by all in 2019.

Allyson McCollam, Associate Director for Public Health commented, “We have six national priorities for public health and the summer programmes are contributing to all of these.  It is great to see partner agencies, volunteers and children and families working together to ensure the Scottish Borders is playing it’s part in improving the health and wellbeing of our population”.

 

To find out more about Scotland’s Public Health Priorities:

https://www.gov.scot/publications/scotlands-public-health-priorities/

 

Nichola Sewell

Health Improvement Lead – Communities & Vulnerable Groups

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