Football clubs and health services team up to encourage fitness, UK

Main Category: Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness
Article Date: 23 May 2005 - 11:00 PDT

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Football clubs and local health services are teaming up to encourage people to get fit and healthy through an awareness campaign which will be launched tomorrow by new Public Health Minister Caroline Flint and the leading football authorities.

'Football and Health' is a manifesto using football to promote partnerships between local health and football organisations to help to promote public health and activity.

Caroline Flint will join the leaders of the FA, the Premier League, the Professional Footballers' Association, the Football Foundation and the English Schools' FA for the "Power of Football" Conference at Tottenham Hotspur's White Hart Lane Ground, in London to launch 'Football and Health'.

The 'Choosing Health' White Paper, published last year, set out Government action to help people live healthier, more active lives. 'Football and Health' is one of a range of actions it promoted to get children involved in making healthier choices about the food they eat and how much exercise they take.

With more than seven million adults and five million children playing football each year and 26 million fans passing through the turnstiles to see professional football matches each week, the footballing authorities, the NHS and Government are determined to harness this mass appeal to help reinforce and promote healthy living.

The guide includes case studies and practical advice to encourage more formal partnerships at a local level between football clubs, community organisations and primary care trusts.

Public Health Minister Caroline Flint said:

"Football is an important part of many peoples lives and with its family friendly policies including smoke free grounds, family enclosures and football in the community work carried out by club players it provides great opportunities to get across key messages about living a healthy, active lives.

"The response to Choosing Health, our public health white paper, Demonstrated that people want to take control of their health by making informed healthy choices. Football, alongside other sports, has been ahead of the field in putting these healthy living messages into practise and recognising its role in influencing the lives of its fans and players. But it is in reaching out to local communities that sport can offer a unique contribution.

"That's why I am delighted to be launching the Football and Health Guide at the Football Partnership conference. Sport and active recreation make a significant contribution towards overall physical activity levels in the population. Many successful partnerships for health already exist between professional football clubs, PCTS and local Authorities. With high-level endorsement from high-profile sports bodies, this guide will help the NHS continue and expand its work to use sport to help communities make healthy choices."

Richard Scudamore, Chief Executive of the Premier League, said:

"The popularity of football and links Clubs have with their local communities means that by locating health facilities at stadia, using football-based resources as an educational tool and running awareness campaigns Clubs can play an important role in improving public health.

"By coming together with the Department of Health and the other football authorities to create a best practice guide we hope our Clubs will build and develop this area of work to continue to lead the way in creating innovative health partnerships."

Brian Barwick, Chief Executive of the Football Association, said: "Football's work with the Department of Health can benefit us both - more people playing football means both a stronger national game, and a fitter, healthier nation. We hope the examples in this guide will be an inspiration for health professionals and football clubs around the country, as there is a lot more we can do together."

Gordon Taylor, Chief Executive of the PFA, said:

"The Power of Football's greatest facilitators are the players who contribute so much to our game. Players have a role in today's society that goes beyond the field of play. The good work that footballers champion covers all areas from literacy, health and fitness, social exclusion, cancer awareness and children's charities. Campaigns such as Keep Your Eye On The Ball demonstrate that players can impact on the health of their supporters with great success. The PFA embraces the opportunity to utilise the power of football, our national game, to benefit the health of the nation."

Peter Lee, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation said:

"With £300m invested in the grass roots of the game the Foundation is leading the way for the utilisation of sport as a vehicle to transform the health of our communities. Hundreds of new Foundation funded pitches, changing rooms and pavilions are facilitating increased participation levels, whilst our community schemes are reaching out and helping many of society's most vulnerable groups."

The Department of Health also announced that it will fund nine sport and health roadshows around England. These will prepare the ground for effective partnership between sports clubs, the NHS and local authorities using sport to promote public health.

Notes to Editors:

The Power of Football conference is focussed on community involvement in sport and football's track record of delivering against key health policy objectives. The conference is aimed at club community managers, PCTs, local football associations, and all involved in delivering community sport projects.

Key speakers included the chief executives of the Football
Association, Premier League, Professional Footballers' Association,
the Football Foundation, the English Schools Football Association,
and Sir Trevor Brooking, the FA's Director of Football Development.

The Choosing Health white paper was published by the Department of Health last year it was supported by the publication this year of Delivering Choosing Health which contains more detailed plans for food, health and physical activity policies. Both documents are available on the Department of Health website: http://www.dh.gov.uk as is Football and Health.

For further information, media enquiries only, please contact Brenda Irons-Roberts, Department of Health media centre, 020 7210 5649.

Chris Hurst, Premier League Press Office, on 020 7298 1690 or 07876 594245.

Mark Hooper, Football Association Press Office, on 020 7745 4763
Simone Pound, Professional Footballers' Association, on 07773 373292
Simon Taylor, Football Foundation Press Office, on 020 75344280

GNNREF: 115334 - Issued by : DOH Press Office