QC pushes healthy living

Queen’s College has joined the fight for a healthier future becoming one of six model schools under the Barbados Heart and Stroke Foundation’s Childhood Obesity Prevention Campaign. Hosting a series of events recently in a bid to raise funds towards the completion of the school’s sports facility, the Husbands institution took the opportunity to encourage other members of society in adopting a healthier lifestyle.

With the Give Back QC Charity, the Healthy Caribbean Coalition and the Childhood Obesity Prevention Campaign joining forces to host the day of activities, a walkathon which was open to students, staff, old scholars and other members of the public, and a health fair were all part of the fund-raising efforts.

Speaking to members of the media during an interview, Principal of the school Dr. David Browne spoke on the programme saying that the school embraced it whole-heartedly. “We have adopted that programme here. We sell no sugary drinks here at Queen’s College and we have gone a step further in looking a our menu – eliminating the high-fat and high-salt from the diet. The children had quite a time adjusting to it but I think they are getting into it. This Walkathon served the purpose not only of the healthy lifestyle that we want to adopt but it is part of the fund-raising effort to raise some funds to put towards the completion of our sport facility here,” he said.

Going on to reveal that over $10 000 was raised a few years earlier in the Adopt-a-Block programme which saw the students donating funds, Dr. Browne added that he thought it important to teach the children the value of purchasing their own things. “It is in that spirit that we are teaching the children that money does not fall out of the sky, that they must be part and parcel of fund-raising efforts. I believe that if they work hard and help us to complete the pavilion, they would take good care of it. That is the values that I want to teach them about hard work, helping to provide some of the things they need and not think that everybody is going to hand something to them.”

Programme Manager of the Childhood Obesity Prevention Campaign Francine Charles said that her organisation was heartened to have Queen’s College join the fold on October 1st, this year along with Alexandra, The St. Michael School, Christ Church Foundation, Reynold Weekes Primary and the Rock Christian.

With all these schools implementing the ban on sugar-sweetened drinks and remaining compliant for the entire term, Charles explained that it was important to make a change to a healthier lifestyle and that sensitisation and training has been and will continue to be available for all schools. “What we have also done is that we have not left the canteen concessionaires and vendors out of the process. We have had vendors training with them held at The St. Michael School. We are on our third one December 17– next week Tuesday from 10 am to 12.30. All vendors across the country as well as canteen concessionaires, not just model schools are welcome. We will have nutritionists from the Ministry of Health working with the concessionaires.”

“First of all, they are being trained as to why these foods and drinks are unhealthy and nobody wants to hurt kids so they are understanding it. Secondly, we also show them practically how to read labels so they can buy foods that are not as unhealthy as probably what they used to buy, especially when it comes to snacks. And we have also showed them how to read the labels of the drinks and on Tuesday we will be showing them how to make drinks for their mass production to ensure the lowest levels of sugar and how to begin to produce drinks that are not as unhealthy,” she said.⬀