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Active Families with the Dalton whānau

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A free community-based programme is helping families in the Eastern and Western Bay get active and learn more about healthy eating.

In the 2019-20 financial year the free programme known as Active Families helped 68 tamariki and rangatahi and their whānau. We recently caught up with 17-year-old Jade Dalton from Whakatāne to find out what her and her whānau have gained from the Active Families programme.

In a family of eight Jade Dalton knows how hectic it can be for her mum and dad to get all the jobs done, plan meals and do activities together. Twelve months ago Jade’s mum visited her local GP to ask for support and Jade was referred to the free Active Families healthy lifestyle programme for school-aged children.

Jade Dalton from the Active Families programme

As part of the programme, an advisor from Sport Bay of Plenty visited the Dalton family each month to help Jade set goals and support her family with fun activity ideas and healthy eating plans.

“I lacked the motivation when I first joined the programme, but the advice and regular monthly visits helped me be motivated and work towards the goals we set,” explains Jade.

Armed with great ideas and resources, Jade and her family set about making changes including reducing takeaways, cutting out chips and muesli bars in lunches and reducing juice in the house.

“Mum and Dad are preparing healthier meals now and we have all benefited from improving our eating habits. Overall the whole family leads a healthier lifestyle now.”

As part of the programme, Jade also had the chance to attend healthy cooking classes with her sister. Jade and her mum also joined the Whakatane Aquatic Centre gym and get to the gym and pools or go out for a walk together whenever they can.

Aside from the physical benefits, Jade is also quick to point out how Active Families has helped her mental wellbeing: “I am more confident in getting involved in activities at school and in the community now. I have loved being part of the Service Academy at school this year and find the fitness training has been challenging but rewarding to keep seeing improvements in my fitness and the ability to complete the challenges.

“Being on the Active Families programme and being part of the Service Academy at school has motivated me to keep making positive improvements. It’s an awesome feeling to achieve the goals and challenges set and feel proud of my efforts.”

The Dalton’s time on the Active Families programme is coming to a close, but when we asked Jade if she’d recommend the programme to others she was quick to say, “Yes, definitely! It has been a really good support for me and my family and we have gained a lot from the programme.”

Active Families

Four healthy tips for your whanau from our Active Families advisors:

  1. Be active for one hour or more each day
  2. Have five or more fruit and vegetables daily
  3. Zero sugary drinks – choose water or plain milk
  4. Reduce screen time to less than two hours per day.

About Active Families

If you’d like to know more about the Active Families programme administered by Sport Bay of Plenty in the Eastern and Western Bay of Plenty, then visit our Active Families page.

Active Families programme

Referrals to the programme are available through your local GP, practice nurse or health professional.

Sport Bay of Plenty also runs the Green Prescription healthy lifestyle programme for adults.

Green Prescription programme

Return to Annual Report 2019-20

 

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