Announcing Children's Health Fund Grants

Over £50,000 money raised from a voluntary tax on sugary drinks in restaurants across the UK will be used to open water fountains in parks, schools, youth groups and even a BMX club in some of the most deprived areas of the country.

The funds are being allocated by the Children’s Health Fund, launched in 2015 by food and farming charity Sustain and funded by a voluntary 10p levy on drinks with added sugar in over 130 of the UK’s leading restaurants, cafes and coffee shops.

The Fund today announced that it has made awards to 26 organisations around the UK that will help to improve children’s access to tap water. Campaigners hope that access to free drinking water will encourage young people to drink alternatives to unhealthy sugary drinks.  Soft drinks are the largest single source of sugar in children’s diets, accounting for almost a third of their sugar intake. 

The news comes after the Government announced a national sugary drinks tax which will be in place in 2018.

John Vincent, Founder of LEON one of the first participating restaurant chains, said

“I believe that our addiction to sugar is making us sick and costing the NHS billions every year. Our children are consuming far too much sugar and even one can of a fizzy drink takes them over their recommended daily intake. We introduced the sugar levy in LEON to show we could use soft drinks to raise money and help fix the problem they’re causing.

I’m really pleased that in nine months we’ve managed to raise enough to give thousands of children access to free, healthy water and also persuaded lots of LEON customers to choose healthier alternatives. Just think what the Government can achieve when it introduces a national tax and invests that back in our children’s health.”

Gloria Davies-Coates, Children’s Health Fund manager, said “We are delighted to be able to provide access to drinking water for our children and young people across the UK. The Children’s’ Health Fund is still new so to be able to have this level of impact from our first funding round is wonderful. We hope other restaurants will come on board so we can help improve more children’s diets across the UK.”

Jamie Oliver, children’s food campaigner and celebrity chef said

"When I launched the Children's Health Fund and the levy on sugary sweetened drinks last year, my plan was always to use the money to help children all over the UK to have access to fresh food and water. I'm delighted that we've now raised enough money to give grants to 26 projects all over the country, all helping kids get access to clean drinking water.  I'm also very proud to say that the next lot of funding is going to tackle holiday hunger. This truly is a tax for good."

The next round of funding, focusing on improving food provision within kids’ holiday clubs, will open for applications in July 2016.

 

Ends

For more details speak to:

Gloria Davies-Coates, Children's Health Fund Manager

gloria@sustainweb.org 

0203 5596 777
 

Notes to Editors

1. Children’s Health Fund

The Children’s Health Fund was set up by Sustain: the alliance for better food and farming, with Jamie Oliver’s help in August 2015. The aim is to get restaurants and cafes to volunteer to put a 10p sugary drinks levy on non-alcoholic soft drinks on their menu with added sugar. This fund is overseen by an independent board, made up of experts on children’s health, food and education.  For more information on the Children’s Health Fund and to get your restaurant involved see www.childrenshealthfund.org.uk/restaurants

 

2. Children’s Health Fund grant awardees

 

The Children’s Health Fund has distributed grants totaling £50,000 to:

 

• Adlington Primary School
• Bryn Hafren Primary School
• Chancellor’s School
• Church Langton CE (Aided) Primary School
• Complete Kidz Community Interest Company
• Coryton Primary School
• Court Lane Infant School
• Eagles Community Foundation
• ESSA Water Activities Centre
• Friends of Parc Williams
• FSN Charity
• Hackney BMX Club
• Irwell valley Housing Association LTD
• Lewes District Council
• North Smethwick Development Trust
• Old Oak Community & Children’s Centre
• Orangebox Young People’s Centre
• Pennine Lancashire Community Farm
• Rivington and Blackrod High School
• Saint Gilbert’s RC Primary School
• Special Olympics Sandwell
• St Peter & St Paul CE Academy
• The Waid Academy
• Westfield Infant School
• Ysgol Dyffrn Ogwen

 

3. Children’s Health Fund Board

The Board are:

 

• Professor Mike Rayner, Chair of Sustain and Director of British Heart Foundation Centre on Population Approaches for Non-Communicable Disease Prevention, Oxford University (Chair of Fund)
• Stephanie Wood – School Food Matters and Sustain trustee (Vice Chair)

• Sean Tizzard, Big Lottery
• Robin Ireland – Director of Food Active / Heart of Mersey
• Jackie Schneider – Teacher and children’s food campaigner
• Yinka Ewoula – Eagle Services Solutions, key campaigner on school food standards, Ofsted, etc.
• Lindsay Graham – advisor to APPG on school food, key campaigner school food and holiday hunger.
• Katie Palmer – Cardiff Food Partnership
• Emma True – UK Youth Parliament

 

  4. Main participating restaurants

Jamie’s Italian, Tortilla, Leon, Abokado, Big Chill House, Caminos, City Hall

Full list can be found here: www.childrenshealthfund.org.uk/restaurants