Young people make space for health
22 February 2012
Beer goggles, bush tucker trials and homemade face masks are
just some of the unusual features of a new health project aimed at
young people in Knowsley.
‘Make Space for Health’ is new to the borough and aims to
educate youngsters on eating well, exercising and looking after
their emotional well-being.
The project is being run throughout the borough in schools and
youth clubs, including the new OurPlace youth facility in Huyton,
and has proved extremely popular amongst young people in
Knowsley.
The Make Space for Health programme, which was developed by
Knowsley Council’s Youth Service in partnership with 4Children, is
split into three key areas – eat, move and feel. The ‘eat’ aspect
of the project teaches young people how to cook healthy meals, eat
a balanced diet and even try new foods through a ‘bush tucker
trial’ activity.
‘Move’ involves the young people suggesting activities they
would like to take part in such as football and dance. They are set
physical challenges to test their strength and fitness, as well as
being educated on how important exercise is and how they can
incorporate this into their lifestyle.
The final part of the project, ‘feel’, engages young people in
discussions on emotional health including bullying, substance
misuse and relationships. The sessions are interactive with the use
of visual aids including beer goggles to demonstrate the effects of
excessive alcohol use and arts & crafts to show various
emotional issues amongst young people.
“We want to make the project as fun and interactive as
possible,” explains Helen Forshaw, Youth Health Champion and
organiser of the Make Space for Health project.
“Just talking at a group of young people is unlikely to make a
difference, so it was important that we got them involved as much
as possible.”
Cllr Eddie Connor, Knowsley Council’s Cabinet Member for
Leisure, Community and Culture, commented,
“This is a fantastic and interesting project. By encouraging
young people to take an active role in the course, it keeps them
engaged and the messages are more likely to have a lasting
effect.”
The project requires young people to complete 10 hours of work
on the course, and on completion they are provided with contact
details where they can get more information on any of the issues
discussed.
The latest group to get involved in the project, which is
open to 11 to 16 year-olds, recently celebrated completing the
course at a special ceremony at OurPlace.
Over 50 young people and their families attended the event,
which included entertainment from a local singer and a special
dance showcase performed by some of the students who were involved
in the project.