All posts by Beth Bradshaw

To mark World Refill Day, we have launched a package of new resources as part of the Give Up Loving Pop campaign, to highlight the impact sugary drinks have on our planet as well as our health.

New resources for the Give Up Loving Pop campaign have been launched this month to mark World Refill Day (Thursday 16^th June 2022).

The resources aim to help children and young people understand:

• The wider impact of plastic pollution on our environment, specifically around single-use plastic bottles
• How we can reduce our impact on the environment
• How drinking tap water can benefit our health but also the environment

We know that sugar sweetened drinks can be bad for our health, but the environmental impact of the production, delivery, storage and littering of these drinks is also a public health concern – even more so given the climate crisis we are facing.

Full hour lesson plans for both Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 have been added to our existing PSHE toolkits, which can be accessed on a license basis. These toolkits contain a wide range of resources perfect for delivery in schools, including teacher guides, activity sheets and other lessons which discuss the oral health implications of sugary drinks, the marketing and advertising of sugary drinks, reading food labels, energy drinks and sports drinks and much more.

If you are interested in finding out more about our commissioned PSHE toolkits, please contact beth.bradshaw@foodactive.org.uk

In addition, our Sugary Drinks and the Environment assembly for Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 have been added to our wide range of free to access resources. These sessions are roughly 15-20 minutes long and ideal for delivery as an assembly.

You can download these new resources here.

Huge thanks go to Nigel Goulding at Rochdale Borough Council, as well as a number of teachers across the borough who tested out  and supported the development of the resources over the last 12 months.

Nigel Goulding, Environment Education Officer at Rochdale Borough Council said:

“The Sugary Drinks and The Environment Powerpoint is a valuable resource for all our KS2 and KS3 schoolchildren in Rochdale. As well as understanding the benefits of drinking tap water in the home/ school setting, the resources also promote the message around the impact of using single use plastic bottles on the environment in a very informative way. Linked into our bottle design with GULP and Public Health Rochdale, we are confident these resources will have a positive impact in the Borough.”

If you would like to get in touch with the team to discuss the GULP campaign, please email beth.bradshaw@foodactive.org.uk

Blackburn Rovers Community Trust has teamed-up with Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, and public health organisations Healthy Stadia and Food Active to help children cut back on sugary drinks in 2022.

• Blackburn Rovers Community Trust in collaboration with Healthy Stadia and Food Active will help children to cut back on sugary drinks
• Using the power of their club’s badge, coaches will encourage children to Give Up Loving Pop and drink more water and low-fat milk
• Community coaches are using classroom-based activities and playground games to raise awareness of the health harms of high-sugar and diet drinks
• Children and their parents challenged to Give Up Loving Pop for 21 days

Many children, young people and adults have a diet high in sugar – this can lead to a range of problems to weight gain, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and poor oral health.

Research suggests that the sugar in high-sugar soft drinks makes up a large portion of added sugar in our diets. Therefore, if we can cut back on high-sugar drinks we can reduce the amount of sugar we’re consuming quite significantly.

In the North West, more than one in three children (31.7%) have at least one missing or filled tooth due to dental decay at age five, compared to the England average of 23.4%. However, in Blackburn with Darwen, this figure rises to 51% of children aged 5.

To help tackle poor oral health in the region, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council has commissioned an extensive oral health programme to improve oral health in the area.

As part of this programme, coaches from Blackburn Rovers Community Trust are delivering the Give Up Loving Pop programme to 40 Year 3 form classes during the remainder of the 2021/22 academic year.

The programme consists of classroom-based games and physical activities to children that will teach them why it is important to look after their teeth and gums, how to read and interpret food labels on bottles or cans of drinks, and why hydrating with water is important for their education and playing sports.

Children and their families are also being challenged to cut right back on sugary drinks and to Give Up Loving Pop for 21 days as part of the GULP campaign.

Children will receive a reusable water bottle and a postcard containing information on high-sugar drinks to take home to their parents. It is hoped that the messaging of the programme and the water bottles will help to embed behaviours that support health, wellbeing, and academic attainment.

The Give Up Loving Pop programme has been successfully delivered by clubs in Lancashire and Merseyside since 2018, with community coaches from Accrington Stanley, Blackpool FC, Burnley FC, Everton FC, Fleetwood Town, and Preston North End delivering session right across both counties.

Gary Robinson, CEO of Blackburn Rovers Community Trust said:

Our Trust aims to ‘inspire change in our community’, whether that be related to sport, health, education or inclusion. When we learned of Blackburn with Darwen’s top position for child tooth decay in the country, we were certain we needed to make a positive difference and soon partnered with key organisations to assist in the delivery of Blackburn with Darwen’s Oral Health Improvement Strategy. GULP is a fantastic project that we are delivering across the borough to improve both the oral health and the weight status of children and young people. 

Councillor Jackie Floyd, Chair of Blackburn with Darwen Food Resilience Alliance, said:

“I’m really pleased to see Blackburn Rovers Community Trust, Healthy Stadia and Food Active joining in this campaign, it is so important that children drink less pop and fewer sugary drinks and this campaign will show them the healthier alternatives.

“Blackburn Rovers Community Trust have signed the Food Resilience Alliance pledge and have joined us in our work against food poverty and health problems caused by unhealthy food. There are so many life-long impacts of eating and drinking too much sugar, including poor oral health and teeth. It can have a huge, negative effect and I hope we can help to stop this in its tracks.

Michael Viggars, Project Manager, Healthy Stadia Network said:

“It is great to see another professional football club in the North West of England and their club community organisation using their influence and standing in the area to help children cut back on high-sugar drinks.

“Oral health is an often-overlooked public health issue – brushing our teeth and gums regularly and reducing sugar in our diet can help to prevent tooth decay, gum disease and a range of other related health issues. We hope this project will inspire children to practice good oral hygiene and Give Up Loving Pop.”

Beth Bradshaw, Associate Registered Nutritionist and Food Active Project Manager said:

“Despite some sugary drinks manufacturers reformulating their products following the introduction of the Sugar Tax, many traditional fizzy drinks, sports drinks and energy drinks still contain huge amounts of sugar – up to 16 cubes of sugar for some – which can be extremely detrimental to children’s health.

“Even diet and zero drinks, which have previously been seen as a step in the right direction, contain lots of acid which can soften tooth enamel. Part of the reason we are still seeing huge numbers of children in the North West under five years of age being admitted to hospital for tooth extractions is the acid in high-sugar drinks.”

For more information, go to:

Facebook at @BwDFood; Twitter at #BwDFood or Instagram at @Bwd.foodresiliencealliance

As the academic year gets back into full swing after disruptions caused by the Covid-19 lockdown, the Give Up Loving Pop campaign has returned with a bang – and will be delivered to 50 year 3 classes across Lancashire over the next coming months. 

Lancashire have teamed-up with Lancashire County Council, Healthy Stadia and Food Active to help children cut back on high-sugar drinks during the spring and summer term. Building on the success of the first Give Up Loving Pop delivered in 2018, community coaches from Accrington Stanley, Burnley FC and Preston North End will encourage school children to “Give Up Loving Pop” and to drink more water and low-fat milk. This campaign

Whilst many people are aware that excess consumption of sugar, particularly sugary drinks, can lead to tooth decay, fewer are aware of the link between high-sugar drinks and weight gain. In the long-term, regular consumption of high-sugar drinks can increase the likelihood of developing other serious health conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and various forms of cancer.

In the North West, more than one in three children (30.4%) having obvious dental decay at age five, compared to the England average of 23.4%. However, Hyndburn (39.6%), Burnley (40.1%) and Preston (40.7%), the areas where Give Up Loving Pop will be delivered, children have considerably higher rates of dental decay at age 5, underlining the need for effective interventions at the earliest possible stage.

To help tackle poor oral health in the region, community coaches from the three clubs will deliver classroom-based games and physical activities to Year 3 children that will teach them why it is important to look after their teeth and gums, how to read and interpret food labels on bottles or cans of drinks, and why hydrating with water is important for their education and playing sports.

Children and their families will also be challenged to cut right back on sugary drinks and to Give Up Loving Pop for 21 days as part of the GULP Lancashire project.

Children will receive a reusable water bottle and a postcard containing information on high-sugar drinks to take home to their parents. It is hoped that these initiatives, will begin to change the attitude and behaviours of children and young people toward high-sugar drinks and encourage them to switch to water and low-fat milk.

Michael Viggars, Project Manager, European Healthy Stadia Network said:

“It is fantastic to see professional football clubs and their club community organisations use the power of their badge to help children and young people to cut back on sugary drinks.

“All too often, sport is used to promote unhealthy products, including high-sugar drinks, to children and young people. We hope this project will not only help the next generation to make healthier choices but also encourage the football family to recognise their role in promoting and endorsing soft drinks and ultimately reconsider football’s relationship with soft drink companies.”

Beth Bradshaw, Associate Registered Nutritionist and Food Active Project Manager said:

“Despite some sugary drinks manufacturers reformulating their products following the introduction of the Sugar Tax, many traditional fizzy drinks, sports drinks and energy drinks still contain huge amounts of sugar – up to 16 cubes of sugar for some – which can be extremely detrimental to children’s health.

“Even diet and zero drinks, which have previously been seen as a step in the right direction, contain lots of acid which can soften tooth enamel. Part of the reason we are still seeing huge numbers of children in the North West under five years of age being admitted to hospital for tooth extractions is the acid in high-sugar drinks.”

Jack Mountain, School’s Provision Officer, Preston North End Community & Education Trust said:

“Football can play such an important role in a child’s development, so it’s vital that we are educating children of the impact of excess sugar consumption through sugary drinks – using an array of sporting examples through classroom-based and physical activity sessions, we hope to educate not only the children but parents alike.”

“This is the second time we have supported the Give Up Loving Pop programme in Lancashire and we’re confident that together we can help to tackle the interlinked issues of overweight and obesity and poor oral health.”

Lee Walsh, Head of Sport, Accrington Stanley Community Trust said:

“We can’t wait to deliver the GULP programme again. We know all too well about poor oral health in the area and we are pleased we can use the power of Accrington Stanley to spread encourage children and their families to Give Up Loving Pop.

“Although many schools only allow water, milk and fresh fruit juice, a lot of children still consume high-sugar soft drinks after school and at the weekends – we feel it is about educating children and through them, their parents in order to have a real impact. This project will allow us to do just that.”

Gwilym Jones, Primary and Secondary Schools Engagement Manager, Burnley FC in the community, said:

“Health and wellbeing are high on our agenda at Burnley FC in the Community and the Give Up Loving Pop programme will give us the opportunity to get into schools and to talk about issues such as poor oral health, that unfortunately, affect far too many children.

“We’re really looking forwarding to delivering GULP over the spring and summer months and giving children the knowledge and skills to identify which of their favourite drinks have the most sugar, and hopefully encouraging them to switch to water and milk.”

Make sure you follow us on twitter to keep up to date with the campaign @gulpNOW!

If you would like to find out more about the Give Up Loving Pop campaign, please email info@foodactive.org.uk

We are delighted to publish the Give Up Loving Pop Impact and Influence Case Study Report, which showcases the innovative ways of delivering the campaign, impact and influence it has had in seven different areas.

The case studies have been written by local authority public health staff, sports coaches and school teachers, providing both a commissioning perspective but also from the delivery point of view and featuring the following areas:

• Blackpool FC Community Trust
• Cheshire West and Chester Council and the School Sports Partnership
• Knowsley Borough Council
• Lancashire County Council in partnership with Healthy Stadia, Fleetwood Town, Accrington Stanley and Preston North End
• Rochdale Borough Council
• Sefton Council and Everton in the Community
• Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council

The report also provides a background of the campaign, where it all started and an overview of the current resources available for local authorities. This will be the first edition of the Impact and Influence report and we look forward to featuring more examples of the campaign in due course.

We would like to say a big thank you to all of our contributors for bringing this report, and the GULP campaign, to life.

Download the Report here!

If you would like to get in touch with one of the team to discuss delivering a campaign in your local area, please get in touch at info@foodactive.org.uk

A range of new free GULP resources are now available on our website, including a range of posters, GULP Challenge Star Chart and GULP Challenge certificate!

These new resources add to our existing range of free resources which are available to download on our website and are being published as part of our month long celebration to mark 5 years of the Give Up Loving Pop campaign.

The new resources include:

• GULP Hydration Posters: a selection of three posters that are suitable for display near water fountains or elsewhere to encourage and remind service users to refill their water bottle or drink more water
• GULP Challenge Star Chart: this star chart is a great way for primary schools taking part in the GULP challenge to record how many days they go sugary drink free.
• GULP Challenge Certificate: reward those who have completed the GULP challenge by awarding them this certificate.
• GULP Key Stage 2 and 3 posters: these posters are aimed at Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 pupils providing detail regarding some of the benefits of drinking water

Make sure you tag us in any photos or posts of you using these resources to see how you’ve utilised them in your own settings. You can find us at @gulpnow on Twitter and Instagram, as well as @giveuplovingpop on Facebook.

Check out the resources here.

The Give Up Loving Pop is celebrating it’s fifth birthday!

Over the next month, we will be celebrating five years of the GULP campaign through a series of new resources, reports and bulletins to reflect back on the campaign’s progress over the past five years and outline where the campaign is headed for the next five years to come. 

Check out our twitter thread below to take a look at our journey. 

https://twitter.com/gulpNOW/status/1229428397077680136

#GiveUpLovingPop arrives in Blackburn with Darwen for the first time ever this February, with secondary school pupils, staff and parents across the borough encouraged to switch sugary drinks for water and milk.

Children and young people are consuming more than three times as much sugar as the maximum recommended daily intake, most of which comes from sugary drinks. The recommended daily maximum of sugar in a person’s diet is no more than five cubes of sugar for four to six year olds, no more than six cubes for seven to ten year olds and no more than seven cubes for 11 years and older, including adults. One can of Cola can contain nine cubes alone, pushing a person over their recommended daily allowance before you even consider any added sugar contained within food and other drinks. This results in our risk of developing certain diseases such as tooth decay, weight gain and type 2 diabetes increasing, due to the high sugar intake.

An easy way to reduce sugar intake is to #GiveUpLovingPop! And not only that, by swapping to refilling GULP water bottles with fresh, healthy and tasty tap water, we are also reducing our use of single-use plastics – a win-win situation for our health and the environment!

As a result, this February, Blackburn with Darwen Council along with Food Active are running a targeted campaign across four secondary schools to encourage pupils, staff and local residents to Give Up Loving Pop (GULP). The GULP campaign is aimed at young people and families to encourage them to switch from sugary drinks to water or milk will involve working with schools and their pupils to encourage them to make healthy lifestyle choices through a series of educational PSHE sessions, assemblies and promotional materials. Pupils will also be challenged to sign up to the 21-day #GULPChallenge to help kick their sugary drink habit and see whether they notice any difference.

Blackburn with Darwen is now the 10th local authority across the North of England to have delivered the campaign, in a bid to help tackle the issue of sugary drinks in children and young people. We are looking forward to finding out how the pupils get on with the challenge, and whether it helps them to make healthier choices in the near future. Keep your eyes peeled for further updates from the campaign as it happens…

If you are interested in finding out more about the GULP campaign coming to your area, please email info@foodactive.org.uk.

To stay up to date with all the latest updates from the GULP campaign, follow us on twitter at @gulpNOW!

Happy new year! We are looking forward to another exciting year for the GULP and Kind to Teeth campaign, with lots of exciting campaigns and resources planned over the next twelve months – and what better way to kick off 2020 with Sugar Awareness Week, focusing on the sugar content of soft drinks!

Sugar Awareness Week (20-26th January) is coordinated by our friends at Action on Sugar and provides an opportunity to celebrate the success of food industry, government and NGOs’ progress so far, and discuss the future for sugar and calorie reduction and its place in the government’s Childhood Obesity Plan.

This year’s theme is ‘What’s in your drink?’. We drink a variety of drinks throughout the day, but do you know how much sugar is in them? Do you think about drinks when we think about your daily sugar intake? How easy is it to find out the sugar content?

Many drinks do not have nutrition information available at point of choice or anywhere else for that matter. It is even more shocking that when there is, it reveals unnecessarily high levels of sugar and calories. Action on Sugar have produced a handy poster for local events and schools to help raise awareness of how the sugar content of drinks consumed across the day can push us over our reference intake of free sugars, as well as other campaign materials. You can access these here. You can also join in the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #SugarAwarenessWeek.

The Give Up Loving Pop campaign is pleased to support this year’s Sugar Awareness Week, and you can find out how to drink less sugar on our website by checking out our resources page.

Our second Give Up Loving Pop special edition bulletin is now live, updating Food Active subscribers on all things GULP and sugary-drink related news.

The bulletin will come in addition to the Food Active monthly e-bulletin, which is typically circulated in the last week of each calendar month.

This edition’s highlights include:

• #KindToTeeth supports National Smile Month
• GULP returns to Blackpool Football Community Trust
• Give Up Loving Pop on tour in Blackburn, Lancashire and Cumbria
• Leader of Rochdale Council shares his experience on GULP
• Latest sugary-drink news and updates from the sugar tax
• A reminder of our wide range of educational resources available to tackle sugary drinks in the community

Click here to read our #GiveUpLovingPop special edition bulletin

Make sure you subscribe to our mailing list to keep up to date – sign up here!

Today marks one year since we launched our Kind to Teeth campaign and this #NationalSmileMonth, we are again promoting the campaign to help tackle poor oral health in the early years across the North West and beyond.

The Give Up Loving Pop (GULP) early years campaign, ‘Kind to Teeth’ aims to improve knowledge and raise awareness of the health risks associated with consumption of sugary drinks in under-fives. The ‘Kind to Teeth’ campaign was launched by Food Active in 2018 to mark National Smile Month and was supported on social media by eight commissioning local authorities across the North West. In addition, a number have delivered the campaigns locally by disseminating ‘Kind to Teeth’ resources such as concertina leaflets and pop up banners in children’s centres, dental practices and GPs.

Across the UK, the state of dental health in the UK is worsening. Data from the National Oral Health Survey shows that on average, 23.3% of 5-year olds have some experience of obvious decay, the average number of teeth that were decayed, missing or filled was 3.4 (at age five, children normally have 20 primary teeth)[1] However, there is large variations between regions in England, with the North West being the greatest with over one third of children (33.9%) having some experience of obvious decay by the age of five[2].

Monday 13^th May 2019 marks the start of this year’s National Smile Month, and we will again be supporting the campaign by encouraging local authorities across the North West to promote Kind to Teeth in their areas and to help tackle poor oral health in the early years, by promoting healthier drink choices such as milk or water.

You can find out more about the Kind to Teeth campaign on our website: http://www.giveuplovingpop.org.uk/kind-to-teeth/

If you would like to get in touch with one of the team to discuss accessing the Kind to Teeth campaign materials, please email info@foodactive.org.uk

[1] Public Health England (2018) National Dental Epidemiological Programme for England. London: Crown Copyright

[2] Public Health England (2018) National Dental Epidemiological Programme for England. London: Crown Copyright