West Sussex
Minister for young people cooks up a storm in Worthing
On Friday the 17 of September 2010 young people from the Rosie Durrington Youth Centre got the opportunity to talk about health issues with Tim Loughton MP, the Minister for young people. The event took place as part of the Make Space for Health campaign and involved the young people being shown how to make a healthy chicken wrap by a professional Nestle chef. 
Tim Loughton, MP for East Worthing and Shoreham said: “The importance of eating healthily is a message that is now getting out to young people,” adding: “It’s great to have the opportunity to cook and experience first-hand how making an effort to eat healthier can be fun and produce delicious results.”
As well as getting the opportunity to talk about issues with their MP, and getting shown some tasty recipes, the young people also took part in a healthy eating quiz. There was also a competition in which the young people were asked to come up with an advertising slogan for the chicken wrap. The winner was 12-year-old Mark Hogan who won with the slogan “Veg so green and meat so nice, a chicken wrap I'll have a slice”. Mark was rewarded with £30 worth of vouchers for a major sports retailer and said he was excited to try out the new recipe at home.
Recent research for the Tellus 4 local authority survey[i] of young people’s health behaviours found that young people in West Sussex are generally satisfied with the standard of health education they have received, with 73 per cent describing information about healthy living as “helpful”, compared with a national average of 67 per cent. However, there is still some way to go in converting theory to habit, with only 19 per cent actually getting their 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day.
Pete Bradbury, Cabinet Member for Children and Families, West Sussex County Council said: "We want to support our young people in any way we can to eat healthily. Many of our schools already do a fantastic job in educating pupils about the merits of a healthy diet. But it’s so important that other people and voluntary organisations play their part, particularly now, when we are all being asked to do what we can to empower communities as part of Big Society and put our passion into making things better."
Anne Longfield OBE, Chief Executive of 4Children said: “Make Space for Health responds to young people telling us they want to be healthier but don't have enough support or know where to go to get information. This programme works to ensure that health services are available in a variety of community settings so that young people can have the help they need at their fingertips.”
Paul Grimwood, CEO, Nestlé UK, said: “Encouraging young people to adopt healthy eating habits at a young age is critical as it gives them the best possible chance of becoming healthy adults later in life. We are proud to be supporting the Make Space for Health programme which promotes healthy lifestyles to young people outside of school. With over 140 years of experience in food and nutrition research Nestlé is committed to adding value to the communities in which we operate and placing nutrition, health and wellness at the heart of everything we do.”