Staying Alive is a partnership project with Islington Primary
Care Trust, aimed at improving knowledge, attitudes and behaviour
among young people with regard to healthy eating and physical
activity, and gathering data on these issues to inform future
projects.
Groundwork worked with Lumpy Hill Adventure Playground, delivering
a young women’s group for young women from the Market Estate
and surrounding areas, lasting 12 months. Groundwork also funded
Lumpy Hill’s summer project in 2005 and some of its healthy
eating work with children in 2006. For the last two months of the
project, Groundwork funded Copenhagen Youth Project to carry out a
healthy living project with its young people.
Groundwork delivered Staying Alive through creative educational
techniques such as health quizzes, workshops, art sessions and
video interviews. The young women also took part in a wide variety
of activities such as climbing, abseiling, horse riding, swimming,
self-defence and street dance. Many who would not normally eat any
fruit or vegetables developed a near-addiction to grapes, satsumas
and fruit juice as these were provided every week for a year! The
group also enjoyed learning basic cooking skills – and, of
course, eating their creations afterwards.
Around 90
children and young people have benefited from the project.
Participants increased their consumption of healthy foods such as
fruit and vegetables and they increased their knowledge of health
issues, such as nutrition, physical activity, mental and sexual
health and drugs and alcohol. In addition, a large and
fascinating bank of knowledge was gathered about young
people’s attitudes, knowledge and behaviour regarding healthy
eating and physical activity.
The Lumpy Hill Young Women’s group made a short film of their experiences of participating in the project. To receive a copy, or for any further information about the project, please contact Lois Titmas on 020 7239 1280.