FSA Wales launches its Awards for Food Action Locally (AFAL)
Thursday 27 November 2003
Ref: WA44/03NS
Food Standards Agency Wales is to launch an exciting new award scheme to recognise individual or team contributions to local nutrition initiatives that have made a positive impact on the diet or eating habits of residents in the communities they serve.
The awards are open to all individuals or organisations responsible for initiating and directing activities or events in Wales which are aimed at improving diet of their local community.
This includes key players across all sectors, such as the national public health service, local health boards, the education sector, community and voluntary workers, local authorities, retailers and food producers etc. who are working to make an impact at the community level.
The winners in each category will receive £2000 for investment into the healthy eating initiative in question, a celebratory fruit bowl and a certificate.
Runners up will receive £1000, a celebratory fruit bowl and a certificate. Finalists will be invited to make a presentation about their activities at a conference in May where the winners will be announced and the Awards presented.
Food Standards Agency Wales would like you to nominate an individual, team or project under any of the five award categories for initiatives that: inform/educate, facilitate access and availability, manage overweight and obesity, demonstrate multi-agency working, or are innovative in their approach.
We would be pleased to receive peer-nominations, self-nominations or nominations by members of the communities directly benefiting from the activities concerned.
We are particularly keen to see nominations relating to activities being undertaken in the more disadvantaged and vulnerable communities in Wales where schemes to improve diet are most needed.
These awards will highlight the hard work, commitment and enthusiasm exhibited by those engaged in promoting better diets at the local level, and will enable Food Standards Agency Wales to promote best practice and encourage others to undertake similar awareness raising activities.
Notes to Editors
Entries are through completion of a nomination form and must be received by no later than 27 February 2004.
Entries will be reviewed by an independent selection panel, and the finalists notified by the end of March 2004.
Award categories
The five award categories, which correspond to the various strands of the Nutrition Strategy for Wales, outlined in the 'Food and Well Being' document are:
- Initiatives to inform/educate the community
e.g. community cooking classes, breastfeeding/weaning information sessions, school-based interventions, development of resources to support healthy eating - Initiatives to promote/facilitate access and availability
e.g. free delivery/ transport schemes, food co-operatives, 'grow your own' schemes, retailer incentives, fruit tuck shops, breakfast clubs - Initiatives to manage overweight and obesity
e.g. projects combining support for healthy eating with exercise, primary care, leisure service or workplace incentives - Initiatives that demonstrate multi-agency working
e.g. local food sourcing initiatives, school nutrition action groups - Initiatives that are innovative in their approach
e.g. any original or unusual approaches to encouraging and supporting better diet
If you have any questions about the nomination process or would like a nomination form, please contact Lorna Thompson at Food Standards Agency Wales on 029 2067 8953.
Completed nomination forms should be returned to:
Lorna Thompson
Food Standards Agency Wales
11th Floor Southgate House
Wood Street
Cardiff
CF10 1EW
11th Floor, Southgate House,
Wood Street,
Cardiff CF10 1EW
Telephone: 02920 678916
Fax: 02920 678918/9
Email: caroline.kitson@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk