A tried and tested programme of life skills is being offered to children on the Isle of Wight for the first time thanks to the support of a local co-operative.
The charity Life Education Wessex & Thames Valley is relied upon by schools in its local area as it works with children, parents and teachers to improve the health and wellbeing, and to reduce the risk of drug misuse, by young people.
Having donated to the charity for many years, Southern Co-op – which has convenience stores and funeral homes across on the Isle of Wight and the south of England – was keen to get involved in its expansion to the Island.
Thanks to an initial donation of £15,000, training was first offered to primary school teachers back in June and the response was overwhelming. A total of 15 schools have now signed up and three training sessions have been carried out enabling teachers to start delivering life lessons directly to their pupils.
Julia Haynes, Store Manager at The Co-operative Food in Rookley, said:
“Our sister stores in Wessex have been supporting the charity for many years as they can see the affect it has on their local children. It has become really prominent in the area and really makes a difference.
“I was lucky enough to be able to see some of the new training first hand and I can see how beneficial it is going to be to our local children.
“As a whole, Southern Co-op has agreed a three year funding programme so it will hopefully make a significant difference in teaching children what they need to do to keep themselves healthy and happy and how to avoid becoming involved in risky behaviours.”
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The training provides teachers with a whole-school approach to improving children’s wellbeing and progress, based on the core values of Safety, Caring, Achievement, Resilience and Friendship (SCARF). It is developed with the knowledge that improving children’s health and wellbeing improves their academic attainment.
The SCARF online resources accompanying the workshops also enable teachers to continue to deliver engaging, interactive Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PHSE) lessons that will stimulate children’s imagination and curiosity throughout the school year.
With 15 schools already trained, this will reach more than 3,400 children on the Isle of Wight.
Jeanette McPhail, Chief Executive at Life Education Wessex & Thames Valley, said:
“We are very grateful to Southern Co-op for its generous support, which has enabled us to introduce our programmes to the Isle of Wight.
“We look forward to developing our relationship with Southern Co-op and schools on the Island over the next three years, and helping as many local children as possible to make healthy life style choices and stay safe.”
