News

The BBC’s regional South Today programme will tonight showcase the Public Health England award winning sugar reduction programme by West Sussex County Council.

The report, filmed at a local school, will air tonight on South Today at 6:30pm and 10:30pm or will be available to catch up on iPlayer after the original broadcast.

West Sussex County Council’s sugar reduction programme was judged to be in the top three of 300 entries at the annual Public Health England Conference 2016.

Thanks to the programme primary school children in the area now have over one kilo less sugar per child, over an average school year, benefiting 30,000 children per day.

John Figgins, county catering service manager, said: “We were one of only three winners from 300 entries, from public health professionals across the country, so this is an excellent result for the work on our school meal sugar reduction programme.

“We have reduced the sugar over a 20 month period so that changes have been less noticeable and indeed our customer feedback and meal uptake has remained very positive.”

The scheme will continue and moves into its next phase that is based around awareness with Chartwells, the school meals partner, commencing a programme of school activities around healthy eating and lifestyles.