Big Society Award for Sainsbury's Active Kids: giving children a healthier, happier head start
Sainsbury’s Active Kids scheme has been recognised by Prime Minister David Cameron with a Big Society Award.
The supermarket’s voucher collection scheme was selected for its work in encouraging thousands of children across the UK to live a healthier and more active lifestyle.
Fronted by ambassadors Daniel Sturridge, Ellie Simmonds and Jonnie Peacock, the scheme has seen Sainsbury’s donate over £150 million worth of equipment and experiences to over 50,000 schools and groups since 2005.
This year has seen a renewed focus on cooking with the development of teacher training toolkits created in partnership with the British Nutrition Foundation and Department of Education to support the changes made to the curriculum in September.
In addition to the core scheme, Active Kids for All was developed by Sainsbury’s to promote inclusive sport and build upon its support of the Paralympic Games. This is an inclusive PE and Community training program for teachers and community leaders designed to provide the skills and confidence to run lessons and sessions for 500,000 children with disabilities and Special Educational Needs.
Prime Minister David Cameron said:
I’m pleased to make the Sainsbury’s Active Kids programme a Big Society award winner. This scheme has made an important contribution to the UK’s Olympic legacy, helping millions of young people get involved in sport.
Sarah Ellis, Head of Corporate Responsibility and Society for Sainsbury’s, said:
We’re really proud of everything we’ve achieved with our Active Kids scheme over the last 10 years. We launched the campaign in response to growing concerns around childhood obesity levels, and it has evolved to become a trusted resource that helps bring healthy living to life in the classroom.