Delight at Healthy Towns award

9th February 2009

Type: News

Categories: Love Middlesbrough News

Middlesbrough is to receive over £4m in additional funding to help promote healthier lifestyles. The Healthy Community Challenge funding, which will be spread over the next three years, has been awarded by the Department of Health after a highly-competitive bidding process.

Middlesbrough is one of only nine towns to be awarded the funding and the town's successful bid focused on a social marketing approach encompassing a town-wide programme of urban farming, improved public resources for recreation, play, walking and cycling and a junior health trainer programme. All these initiatives are supported by an ambitious marketing strategy designed to encourage behaviour change amongst the local community.

Dr Peter Heywood, Director of Public Health for Middlesbrough, says the funding will be a great help in supporting Middlesbrough residents to become more active and make healthier food choices. He said "I am delighted with this award and with the fantastic contribution from the many partners to achieve this. Our Healthy Town status will provide us with resources to influence and change the social, physical and food environment. Middlesbrough has progressed so far in recent years and I really hope people of all ages will see this as an opportunity to get involved and contribute to making Middlesbrough a Healthy Town."

Councillor Brenda Thompson, Middlesbrough Council's Executive Member for Public Health and Sport, said: "This is fabulous news for Middlesbrough and we now have the opportunity to make a real difference to the health of our residents as well as enjoying the many activities which will be on offer. We have already made good progress on reducing smoking, taking up healthy eating and encouraging more people to become more active. By working together throughout Middlesbrough, the Healthy Towns partnership will make a major difference."

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