In 2016, Colchester United and their Football in the Community team helped North Essex children to learn about healthy hearts and the dangers of poor lifestyle choices thanks to a grant from a national heart charity, Heart Research UK and SUBWAY® stores.
* Take a look at our video on the Cardio Active programme
The U's Football in the Community scheme was awarded £8,500 to fund a new project that benefitted nearly 700 Key Stage 2 children in local schools by giving them a lesson in heart health, installing knowledge and awareness that will last them a lifetime.
The six-month project, 'Cardio-Active' taught the children about the importance of having a healthy heart and the dangers that poor lifestyle choices can have on their heart health.
Sessions also covered preventative measures like interpreting food labels so that heart health becomes an essential part of day to day life.
Children learned about the benefits of exercise as part of six, hour-long Healthy Heart workshops and linked sports activities.
As well as getting them more active at school, the project helped to increase physical activity by challenging pupils to move about for at least a mile a day throughout the session by walking or jogging.
Pupils kept a log of their activity and sessions included a family member to increase parent or sibling involvement.