Project to boost healthy eating in Essex to expand
ARU and Essex County Council sign new five-year Nourishing Our Future agreement
An award-winning programme dedicated to improving nutrition and healthy eating among young children across Essex is set to expand under a new five-year agreement between Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and Essex County Council (ECC).
Nourishing Our Future began as a research-led project to help children and families build positive relationships with food, recognising that healthy eating habits are developed at a young age.
Following the success of the programme's first two years, ARU and ECC have signed a new agreement that will see Nourishing Our Future (NOF) grow its research and impact over the next five years.
The programme has already gained national recognition and has presented evidence to Parliament six times. It has received silver awards for Public and Population Health at the LGC (Local Government Chronicle) Awards and Collaboration and Partnerships at the iESE Public Sector Transformation Awards, and is shortlisted in the Early Years category at this November’s Children & Young People Now Awards.
Last year, NOF published the first study of its kind focusing on food and nutrition in Essex. Involving 58 day nurseries, 94 childminders and 67 preschools, the report found that food costs and managing food preferences were the two biggest barriers to healthy eating in the county.
The programme also launched the Essex Early Years NOF Award to celebrate food and nutrition practices across Essex's early years sector.
The NOF Award gives early years providers a structured framework – co-produced with pre-schools, day nurseries and childminders – to help them implement the Department for Education’s early years Nutrition Guidance, as well as develop and showcase best practice, their own food environments and nutritional education. It is supported by bespoke training and resources provided by nutrition experts.
As well as continuing to deliver the NOF Awards and host the annual NOF conference, the new five-year agreement will see a significant expansion of the programme’s research activity, led by ARU’s School of Education in partnership with Essex County Council’s Public Health and Education departments.
The collaboration will involve a PhD research project linked to the NOF programme and funding bids for further research, key findings published in leading academic journals, and work to ensure that research outcomes help to influence national policy for the benefit of future generations of children across the country.
“Nourishing Our Future has shown what can happen when universities, local government and the early years sector work together around a shared purpose. Over the past two years we've had the privilege of working alongside hundreds of early years educators, listening to their experiences, working with them to change practice and seeing the difference that genuine partnership can make.
“This ambitious new five-year collaboration reflects the strength of the relationship we've built with the Public Health and Education teams at Essex County Council and our shared commitment to improving our youngest children’s food and nutrition health education.
“I'm excited about the opportunities ahead to grow the evidence, support innovation in practice, influence policy and, most importantly, continue working with the educators and parents who are helping to shape healthier futures for children.”
Dr Kay Aaronricks, Head of the School of Education at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU)"Essex County Council is proud and excited to have signed a new five-year collaborative agreement with Anglia Ruskin University, building on the success of our partnership through Nourishing Our Future over the past two years.
“Through our work together in NOF, we have demonstrated the value of combining research, local knowledge and practical action to improve outcomes for children and families across Essex. We look forward to continuing this strong and productive partnership, working together to develop evidence-based solutions that help children, young people, families, and early years educators to live healthier and happier lives."
Sarah Muckle, Director of Wellbeing, Public Health and Communities at Essex County Council