Healthy living on the menu in Chesterfield

Over 100 local primary school pupils learned how to become positive role models for their least active classmates at the Change 4 Life Champions Conference held at Queen’s Park Sports Centre last week.

The event began with an introduction from Change 4 Life Athlete Mentor and former Team GB Volleyball captain, Ben Pipes and included a number of modules inspired by the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Champions will now be able to go back to their schools, implement some of the things they have learned and support Change 4 Life Clubs of their own.

Organised by Chesterfield School Sport Partnership, the event was the first of two Change 4 Life Champions Conferences running this academic year and was held in collaboration with the Bolsover and North East Derbyshire School Sport Partnerships.

Sarah Evans, Leadership and Physical Activity Officer at the Chesterfield School Sport Partnership, said: “We wanted the day to be fun and engaging for the Champions. The Change 4 Life Champions have learned how to run Change 4 Life programmes and how to publicise a healthy and active lifestyle. I can’t wait to see what they come up with.”

The Key Stage 2 pupils had a great time during the fun activities and learned a great deal about the meaning behind Change 4 Life.

Cerys said: “It was fun! I liked the tag game because we got to run around.”

Kyle, aged 9, said: “We learned how to tell people about Change 4 Life and to get our friends involved.”

There was also a deliverer’s workshop for teachers which ran parallel to the conference. Attended by 30 energised members of staff, the Change 4 Life Deliverers workshop developed the knowledge and expertise of school staff and club deliverers to effectively deliver Change 4 Life Clubs. It was also used to raise achievement and impact on whole school priorities.

Delivering the workshop, Mark Tournier, Partnership Development Manager at the Chesterfield School Sport Partnership, said: “It was a privilege to deliver the Change 4 Life workshop to an engaging audience of staff, who all acknowledge the crucial role physical activity plays in developing healthy active young people and the positive impact this plays on whole school outcomes.”