Health Action is an award-winning health promotion programme
for young people developed by local charity Action Cancer and sponsored
by Centra since 2003.
Designed specifically for Northern Ireland schools and colleges, Health
Action aims to educate young people on the importance of a healthy diet,
care in the sun and the need to take exercise to save lives from cancer.
The programme is supported by Northern Ireland’s Centra retailers,
who raised funds for the scheme and promote it locally.
Health Action offers a range of health promotion roadshows for primary
and secondary schools, as well as further education colleges which focus
on cancer prevention and early detection. The initiative is also fully
supported by the Council for the Curriculum Examinations and Assessment
(CCEA).
30,000 children and young people now take part in Health Action each
year, with Action Cancer Health Promotion staff spending almost 60% of
their time in schools.
As part of the Health Action programme Action Cancer and Centra organise
the annual Health Action Awards to recognise Northern Ireland’s
healthiest schools.
“Action Cancer’s work with young people is vital
and local Centra retailers, very often parents themselves, see the
benefit in continuing our support of Health Action for the long-term.
This will have the greatest impact on improving the knowledge young
people have of healthy lifestyles and will hopefully reduce their cancer
risk in later life.”
Nigel Briggs, Managing Director Musgrave Retail Partners.
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