Living Well Schools Christmas Newsletter
Thank you for your collaboration with Living Well Schools in 2025.
We are grateful for your continued support and wish everyone a safe and happy festive break.
Article 1: Funded Offer - Eat Them to Defeat Them Programme
Article 2: Expanded FREE RSE offer launches in Bradford Schools
Article 3: Get your school moving with NHS Let's Move
Article 4: Free Parent and Carer Workshops
Article 5: FM Services receive national recognition for plant-powered menus
Article 6: Catch Your Breath
Article 6: Stop Loan Sharks
Article 7: Bradford Toothbrushing Programme
Article 8: Everybody's Cycling
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Eat Them to Defeat Them 2026 (Veg Power) – Sign Up today for Free! |
Public Health has teamed up with Veg Power to offer Eat Them to Defeat Them to schools in Bradford
Eat Them to Defeat Them returns for an eighth year in March 2026 and is a programme for primary aged, special and PRU/AP schools which encourages children to eat more veg by making it fun.
The programme includes:
- lesson plans
- activities
- caterers support
- and take-home resources for families
To sign up, please register your school on the Veg Power platform by 5pm Monday 15th December: Eat Them to Defeat Them – Veg Power
- To register, you will need: the appropriate member of staff's email and school details, including name, address, pupil numbers, MAT and caterer.
- If your school has previously participated in Veg Power campaigns, the registered user will need to log in and click that they wish to participate in ‘Eat Them to Defeat Them 26’ programme from the drop-down menu.
We are expecting a high demand for this funded programme, and places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. To find out more, please see the link below and if you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch: schools@mylivingwell.co.uk
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Relationships and Sex Education in Bradford Schools |
Step2, JAMES and Brathay have teamed up to bring a free RSE offer for Bradford Schools
Bradford Council are proudly commissioning a new, expanded RSE offer, free to all Bradford Schools. The partnership consists of experts from three youth-focused charities: Step2, JAMES and Brathay Trust.
• RSE Specialists delivering engaging and age-appropriate education.
• Holistic support from experts in youth work, education, group facilitation, and family support.
• Streamlined referrals for quicker access to the right support.
• Up-to-date signposting.
• Rooted in the Bradford communities, building lasting relationships with schools and young people alike.
Please download the service offer brochures below for Primary and Secondary schools.
Call: 07539334228
Key contact: RSE@step2.org.uk
The NHS physical activity campaign is coming to Bradford
The government-backed programme aims to combat declining physical activity levels by helping every child reach the recommended 60 minutes of daily activity, promoting better health, happiness, and improved concentration in the classroom.
The goal is to work together with families to inspire fun, simple physical activity that fits into their everyday lives.
How To Bring "Let's Move" to Life in Your School:
Your engagement is key to getting this campaign moving effectively within your community. Here are simple ways staff can support this initiative:
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Integrate Movement: Share simple ways to sneak movement into the school day (e.g., quick 5-minute brain breaks, active transitions between lessons).
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Share Local Content: Highlight activities happening in our local area or spotlight existing school initiatives that align with the campaign's goals.
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Utilise Resources: The NHS has provided a toolkit with ready-to-share ideas and materials. Consider printing posters for notice boards or staff rooms.
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Lead by Example: Small actions, like leading a quick stretch session or simply walking with energy, inspire both students and parents.
Let's make physical activity a fun, natural part of every school day! Explore the resources by clicking below.
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Free Parent and Carer Workshops |
Living Well Schools are offering two interactive parent and carer workshops to help families navigate the complexities of supporting their child’s emotional wellbeing.
Our parent and carer workshops focus on giving families the skills and knowledge to support their child’s emotional wellbeing through effective communication. We facilitate discussions around mobile phones and social media, developing healthy habits, and how good communication can support the whole family.
Each workshop is one hour long and can be delivered at coffee mornings. Choose from, or book both:
- Supporting Your Child's Emotional Wellbeing
- Supporting Your Child in the Digital World
Other parents have said:
"I enjoyed the open conversations, and things were well explained"
"Lots of helpful advice about managing children's emotions"
"I think it was great. I might change my active listening and not try to always find a solution for his problems, but to reflect them back to him."
"A very laid back session"
If your school would like to book these sessions for your families, please send an email to schools@mylivingwell.co.uk
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FM Services is receiving national recognition for plant-powered menus |
FM Catering Services has won a national award for its healthy and sustainable menus, serving planet-friendly meals across Bradford and the surrounding areas.
The ProVeg School Plates Awards are a national accreditation scheme recognising nutritious and eco-friendly menus. FM Catering Services, which caters for over 100 schools with 22,000 pupils every weekday, launched its award-winning new menu in October 2025.
The ProVeg School Plates Awards launched in 2023 and aims to set the standards for low-carbon menus across UK schools. The Awards are designed to recognise the positive steps taken by caterers to create healthier, climate-friendly menus.
To be eligible for an award, caterers must take various steps to promote plant-based school meals, which produce significantly less carbon than meat-based dishes. The dishes must be nutritionally-balanced and, of course, tasty, while also encouraging children to opt for more sustainable choices at lunchtime.
Working with ProVeg UK, a non-profit organisation, the caterer’s new school menu includes a wide range of delicious, planet-friendly dishes that the children love. New dishes included:
- Loaded Mexican-style Wedges
- Creamy Cauli Mac & Cheese & Peas
- Indian-style Sausage Rolls
- Cowboy Sausage & Beans
- Curry Club Dal with Chickpea & Coriander
- Coronation Chickpea Sandwich
All available alongside a salad-counter and they also have a planet-friendly food day every week, helping children to make the connection between their food and its impact on the planet.
🌱Please click here to check out ProVeg UK’s updated School Plates Programme Guide and see their delicious SFS-compliant School Plates Recipes.
🌱Please click here to download ProVeg UK’s free Canteen to Classroom school resources.
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Catch Your Breath |
The new anti-vaping campaign has launched in Bradford
Bradford City FC Community Foundation and Bradford Council have teamed up to launch Catch Your Breath campaign tackling vaping among young people across Bradford.
Running until the end of the 2025/26 football season, the campaign explores how vaping affects everyday life, starting with how nicotine addiction can impact friendships and social situations.
The campaign launched with two bespoke films co-produced with young people that show how nicotine addiction from vaping can influence and disrupt everyday life, while also challenging the misconception that vaping is seen as ‘cool’ among children and young people - across Bradford landmarks and during a Bantams matchday and show the real pressures young people face.
Key message for schools: Catch Your Breath offers relatable, youth-created resources to help schools open up honest conversations about vaping, peer pressure, and wellbeing.
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Stop Loan Sharks |
With the festive season upon us and the New Year just around the corner, our finances can be stretched beyond coping.
When our finances are stretched to the limit and any legal credit is not available it is so easy to turn to a loan shark (sometimes without realising that someone is a loan shark).
Once people are in this situation, it can feel impossible to escape.
However, people can and do escape this nightmare experience with the right support.
Stop Loan Sharks - The England Illegal Money Lending Team (IMLT) was set up in 2004. Initially created as a pilot scheme in Birmingham to investigate loan sharks, it had such an impact on illegal money lending it received further government funding.
If you have borrowed from a loan shark or are worried about someone else, the Stop Loan Sharks team are there to help and keep people safe.
The specially trained staff will provide you with emotional and practical support that is tailored to your needs.
For more detailed information – click on the link below.
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Exciting news for Bradford's Toothbrushing Programme... |
The Community Dental Service’s Oral Health Improvement Team have received further funding to offer toothbrushing to your Early Years, Foundation and KS1 pupils.
This additional funding from the government, aims to tackle tooth decay by teaching children to brush their teeth with fluoride toothpaste under supervision. This initiative is part of the services wider offer to improve children’s oral health and reduce inequalities. The results from the 2024 survey of 5-year-olds showed 30% have tooth decay in 1 or more teeth. This is above the national average 22.4%
If your school is already part of the Supervised Toothbrushing Programme it can be extended up to Year Two.
From this funding, the service can offer your school free training, Colgate resources up to 3 times a year, free toothbrushes/toothpaste and toothbrush holders to carry out the daily toothbrushing in your setting.
The service can work with you to set the toothbrushing programme up in your setting by offering an interactive toothbrushing session with the pupils and staff. They promise to offer you as much support in those few weeks to ensure the programme takes minimal time out of your day.
There are limited places, so please contact the Oral Health Improvement Team on: ohp@bdct.nhs.uk
The Project enables more people with disabilities to enjoy the benefits of cycling and to help create a more inclusive West Yorkshire.
Are you a school that have run or are aspiring to run some inclusive cycling sessions or are interested in finding out more?
See below for more information.
Free Science Kits for all Bradford Schools - Edina Trust
Free School Staff CPD - Monthly
Misogony in Schools Training - Free CPD
Living Well Workplaces - Free health and wellbeing support for staff
Visit the Grants and Funding page to see where you school can apply for funding
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