Councils awarded £1.5 million to tackle childhood obesity

Five local councils will be awarded £100,000 a year over a 3-year period.

Local councils with “forward-thinking” ideas to address childhood obesity will receive funding, the Department of Health and Social Care announced.

Bradford, Blackburn with Darwen, Nottinghamshire, Lewisham and Birmingham were identified as the five local councils that will be awarded £100,000 a year over a 3-year period.

Planned programmes include a scheme by Birmingham City Council to offer health, food, nutrition and physical-activity focused apprenticeships for 15 to 19 year olds in deprived areas. The council will also create a local metric, the ‘Birmingham Basket’, to capture local consumer habits said to help inform policies and measure impact.

Bradford, meanwhile, will partner with local mosques to support South Asian children by providing places and fun ways to exercise, alongside healthier food.