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The Healthy Lives Team Families update contains helpful information and activities for your whole school community
This is the FAMILIES newsletter from The Healthy Lives Team. Each Friday we share relevant information, activities and resources to support your ongoing health and wellbeing.
The HEALTHY LIVES TEAM supports schools, pupils and families with everything to do with health and wellbeing. We want to help you to live fitter, healthier and happier lives.
We now have a Healthy Lives Team webpage where you can find out more about the team and access Healthy Schools resources and all our archived newsletters.
Summer of Fun 2023
Summer is here and Tower Hamlets Council have published their schedule of events to keep children and young people busy over the summer holiday, the good news is that most of the events are FREE. Activities are varied and range from online photography workshops, outdoor fitness sessions and even music production. Check the schedule often, as it is likely that new activities will be added on a regular basis.
Holiday Activities and Food Provision (HAF) 2023 - Free School Meal recipients
LBTH Council has provided a timeline and guidance for booking a free place at a HAF club this summer.
What do the programmes include?
- All the programmes include at least one meal a day which will meet school food standards.
- There will also be an element of nutritional education each day aimed at improving knowledge and awareness of healthy eating.
- Along with the food aspects of the schemes, there will be fun activities for children and the chance to try out new things.
- Activities include physical sports or games, creative activities like music or drama and day trips.
Key Dates
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Monday 3 July 2023: Letter posted: Families should begin receiving their HAF letters this week
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Monday 10 July 2023: HAF Club list to go live on the HAF website
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Monday 10 July 2023: Summer Fun List to go live on the Summer Fun website
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Saturday 22 July to Friday 1 September 2023: The HAF programme runs across the borough
 The Healthy Steps Programme has launched -NHS
Healthy Steps is a FREE 8-week email programme aimed at families with children aged 5-11. It encourages families to eat better, move more and provides practical ideas, whilst still being budget conscious. You can sign up at any time by completing a short quiz about your current eating and physical activity habits, once complete you will receive tailored emails on reducing sugar, eating 5-a-day and meal planning. Families can also set goals or tasks for themselves to support their progress.
Raising awareness of testicular health problems in boys and young men – The North East London Cancer Alliance
The North East London Cancer Alliance is funding a project aimed at raising awareness of testicular health problems that can be experienced by boys and young men. Testicular cancer rates start to rise in the mid-teens, while testicular torsion (twisting) rates start to rise even younger, at around age 11. Both conditions can be treated easily if diagnosed early but can become more serious if left for too long before medical intervention, potentially resulting in the removal of a testicle and/or advanced cancer.
The project aims to reach all boys in North East London with NHS-approved testicular health education, and would like parents and carers to be aware too, so that you know what to do if your son raises any concerns with you. Please look at www.testicularhealth.info to find out more about what to look out for and when to seek medical help – early intervention makes a big difference.
 Healthy Start – free healthy food and vitamins
If you have children between the ages of 0-4, you may be eligible to access money for healthy food and milk. Healthy Start has switched from paper vouchers to card that can be used in the same way as a bank card. If you used to receive Healthy Start vouchers, you’ll need to reapply.
If you’re pregnant or have a child under the age of four in Tower Hamlets, you can also collect free vitamins from a Children’s and Family Centre.
Has your child missed any of their routine vaccinations?
Parents and guardians of children aged 1 to 11, who are not up to date with their vaccinations, will be offered protection for their children against polio and measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) through primary schools and community venues. They can also contact their GP surgery at any time to get their children up to date with their vaccinations.
 Funding to support your studies - The Tower Hamlets and Canary Wharf Further Education Trust
Are you starting a new education or training course in September? Are you struggling to identify a source of funding to support your studies? The Tower Hamlets and Canary Wharf Further Education Trust might be able to help.
What support is on offer?
Tower Hamlets and Canary Wharf Further Education Trust have a range of financial grants which include further education, higher education, agricultural, postgraduate and part-time courses. Any resident who is not eligible for mainstream student finance can apply for support with fees and residents with a household income below £13,000 can also apply for maintenance support.
Who is eligible to apply?
Applicants should:
- have finished school and not be studying GCSEs or A Levels
- live in Tower Hamlets and have been resident in the borough for 3 years. (Exceptions may be made for those who have recently been granted refugee status)
- anyone with limitations on their ability to remain in the UK will normally not be eligible to apply
In general, the trust will not fund students who can obtain financial assistance from central or local government through schemes like Student Finance or the Mayor’s Education Award.
The deadline for applications is Friday 28 July 2023.
 Kooth free online mental health and wellbeing service in Tower Hamlets - new video and resources for Parents and Carers
Kooth is a free online mental health and wellbeing service available to all young people in Tower Hamlets aged 11-25. It is a self-referral service, where young people have access to fully-qualified online counsellors until 10 pm every day of the year. There is also a range of other support including an online interactive magazine, discussion boards, self-help tools, and wellbeing activities. A new video for parents and carers has been produced, as well as a range of parent and carer resources, please follow the links below.
"It always seems impossible until it's done"
Nelson Mandela
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The Healthy Lives Team
The Healthy Lives Team want to support you with all aspects of health and wellbeing. We will be sending you regular newsletters that will be relevant whether you are at school, work, or at home.
Please feel free to share this email.
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We are incredibly proud in Tower Hamlets to have supported schools to gain more Healthy Schools awards than any other borough in London. So please use this newsletter in whatever way suits you best to stay as fit and healthy as possible.
If you're in a school, please share this newsletter using your social media or website using the following share button, or you can click the hyperlink in the top right corner of this email:
Subscribing to this newsletter
Just to let you know, you're receiving this because you have either opted in to get emails from the council relating to children and education, or you are one of the Healthy Lives team's regular contacts, or you may also have been forwarded this email from your school.
If you or anyone you know would like to sign up to this newsletter, please use the following link.
Take care,
The Healthy Lives team at London Borough of Tower Hamlets.
Useful links
Did you know that Tower Hamlets offers other email newsletters to keep you up to date on a variety of topics?
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