Sowing the seeds

Councils lead the way for healthier communities

Local authorities are among the biggest employers in Scotland, and are in a position to influence staff and public alike when it comes to healthy eating.

Atrium Cafe Manager Ann Cumming and staff being
presented with their award

Many local councils have already achieved the healthyliving award for at least some of their catering outlets. Several are also taking a more active role by sending environmental health staff to be trained as healthyliving award assessors, and by promoting the award more widely to businesses in their areas.

A good example of a council initiative is The Atrium, a social enterprise project based within Renfrewshire Council’s headquarters building in Paisley. The project provides training and employment opportunities for adults with learning disabilities. At the same time it provides a successful commercial catering service that offers healthy eating choices to 1400 staff and visitors at Renfrewshire House.

Bob Hampson, Assistant Site Services Manager for the council, told us: “The Atrium’s recent achievement of the healthyliving award also helped towards Renfrewshire Council achieving the Healthy Working Lives Gold Award, and the project fulfils a number of the council’s community plan themes.”

Another local authority that has embraced the healthyliving award is North Ayrshire Council. Pearl Hamilton, Nutrition Co-ordinator, explained how the council became involved:  “We first of all decided to register the Tournament Café in Eglinton Country Park for the award. It was a new outlet for us, serving the public. Things progressed well and the café achieved the award.

“We then heard about a mobile van that had gained the award, and realised we could put forward our own jiffy van and trolley service. These are based at a school but serve a number of council offices, garages and other workplaces.

“Many of the council staff like having the healthier choices available, but people who wouldn’t always choose the healthier options are happy as well, as there is something for everyone.”

She added: “We have been encouraged by our success and are now looking at other council sites that we could also put forward for the award. We have already registered another two outlets.

“As a council, achieving the award shows that we are giving a commitment to the health of the community, not just through the mandatory guidelines for nutrition in schools, but also extending it more widely.

“It was a learning curve for us, but we found the process manageable, and I would definitely encourage other local authorities to look into registering for the award if they haven’t already done so.”

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issue thirteen:
February 2010
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The healthyliving awardNHS Health Scotland - Scotland's health improvement agencyHealthier Scotland - Scottish GovernmentHealthier Scotland - Scottish Government