Due to a fire in Walworth Town Hall on Monday 25 March, the Walworth One Stop Shop, Cuming Museum and Newington Library are closed. Alternative locations are now available for many affected services.
Change4Life
Three steps to keeping you and the children fit, happy and healthy in Southwark
Two of the best things you can do to keep your family healthy are to give them healthly food and as family do plenty of exercise. As well as children needing good nutrition to grow, it's important for the whole family to be a healthy weight for a long and happy life. Here are some tips on getting started, what Change4Life can do for you and information on programmes in Southwark that can also help.
1. Join Change4Life
Step one is to join Change4Life. It takes minutes and you'll receive tips, games and recipes to help your family be fit and healthy.
Contact details
Tel: 0300 123 4567
2. Try to eat a healthy balanced diet as a family
You can find information and tips with Change4Life and NHS choices.
Nutritionist advice for children aged under five years
Southwark's children centres nutrition team holds drop-in sessions in different locations around the borough. Sessions include cook and taste, healthy eating, weaning group, little chefs and more!
Contact details
Tel: 020 3049 8846/5776
The Mini Cooking Club
Every Wednesdays at Copleston Centre.
Contact details
Email: Cecilia.belier@theminicookingclub.org.uk
Shop Cook and Eat
Families with at least one child under five can sign up to the short course which covers:
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Healthy eating and nutrition on a budget
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Planning recipes and visiting a supermarket
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Understanding food labelling and portion sizes
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Cooking quick and nutritious meals and snacks for the family
Contact
Tel: 020 7358 6698
Reading food labels
With so much packaged food available, it's difficult to know which foods are healthy and which are unhealthy. Food labels can be misleading and difficult to understand.
Products which are high in fat (especially saturated fat), sugars and salt should be eaten in moderation.
Healthy tip - Look at the 'per 100g' column on the label:
- Total fat
High: more than 20g of fat per 100g
Low: 3g of fat or less per 100g - Saturated fat
High: more than 5g of saturated fat per 100g
Low: 1.5g of saturated fat or less per 100g - Sugars
High: more than 15g of total sugars per 100g
Low: 5g of total sugars or less per 100g - Salt
High: more than 1.5g of salt per 100g (or 0.6g sodium)
Low: 0.3g of salt or less per 100g (or 0.1g sodium)
3. Get active and help your children get active
Try the Change4Life-o-meter to find out where you can start making some simple changes.
Southwark has lots of opportunities for children and families to be active, including parks, playgrounds, leisure centres and clubs. Get Active London provides information on clubs, venues and activities in London.
Southwark Family information service provides information on local activities including adventure playgrounds and fun for families.
Contact
Tel: 0800 013 0639
Email: family.info@southwark.gov.uk/familyinfo
What should I do if I'm worried about my child's weight?
If you are worried about your child's weight please talk to your GP, practice nurse or school nurse.
Southwark is also running a free fun programme for girls and boys to become fitter, healthier and happier in 2012.
The MEND programme is open to 7 to 13 year old children. It is for children and their parent/carer and includes 18 sessions (twice a week for 1 or 2 hours). The programme includes:
- Fun games and activities for children
- Learning new sport skills
- Interactive discussions for parents
- Practical demonstrations and tips about healthy foods, label reading and portion sizes
Contact
Tel: 07413 513721
