Nutrition Fund

Introducing This Page

This page contains useful information about the Nutrition Fund, Government funding available for initiatives that promote healthy eating in schools and early childhood services.

What is the Nutrition Fund?

Government funding is available for initiatives that promote healthy eating in schools and early childhood services.

The West Coast will receive approximately $35,000 per annum for the next 3 years. This funding aims to help schools and early childhood centres (ECCs) establish healthy eating environments.

How Will This Happen?

The Nutrition Fund priority in 2006/07 was around supporting teacher release to attend introductory workshops about the Ministry of Education Food and Nutrition Guidelines for ECE services and Schools and the Ministry of Health Food and Beverage Classification System. Further funding is available each year from 1st July 2007.

A Healthy Eating - Healthy Action (HEHA) Education Sub-Group consists of local Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education, Sport & Recreation NZ representatives.  The main objectives of the Education Sub-Group are to administer the Nutrition Fund, provide advice to schools on the implementation of the Food & Nutrition Guidelines and to coordinate service delivery in schools and Early Childhood Education (ECE) services.

Who gets funding?

The West Coast Nutrition Fund is available to all West Coast schools and early childhood centres (ECCs) to apply for funding for initiatives that support the Ministry of Education Food and Nutrition Guidelines. This fund is designed to assist schools and ECCs to create healthy eating environments. All applications must meet the West Coast HEHA Nutrition Fund Criteria.

• Nutrition Fund Criteria (PDF, size: 66 KB)

Priority will be given to initiatives that:

• Support sustainable change (rather the one-offs)
• Have a whole school/early childhood community approach
• Are student-led
• Involve high-need schools and/or early childhood education services
• Are run by clusters of schools and/or ECE services (for effective sharing of resources, support planning, etc)
• Are innovative
• Support and promote the messages in the food and nutrition guidelines (both the Ministry of Education's and the Ministry of Health's), the Healthy Eating - Healthy Action Strategy and the Food and Beverage Classification System.

How do we get the funding?

A Nutrition Fund application is attached. Applications will be sought from schools, ECCs or clusters on two dates in April & October of each year.

The application is for one year of funding only. If the application is part of a long-term project (e.g. over three years) then you can apply for funding on a yearly basis.

Where should we start?

The Nutrition Fund will build on initiatives already in place, including those that have involved the National Heart Foundation, Community and Public Health, Māori providers, Regional Sports Trusts, School Support Services, the Cancer Society, Health Promoting Schools and Fruit in Schools.

Undertaking the needs assessment will assist you in identifying an appropriate initiative to promote healthy eating. The aim is not only to lift the quality of the food, but to encourage students' own healthy choices and establish a sustainable healthy eating environment. Students who are leading and practising health promotion in their schools and early childhood education services will need support from teachers, parents and staff.

Some possible project examples

• Purchase appropriate food preparation equipment
• Set up cooking, gardening, recipe clubs
• Provide training from a dietician or nutritionist for staff/caterers
• Training for staff on food safety if directly involved in food preparation.
• Provide opportunity for 'learning about food and its preparation' for parents/caregivers
• Teacher release time to work on implementing the whole school approach through the Health Promoting Schools framework.

Some potential outcomes

• More healthy food is available
• Children eat more fruit and vegetables and fewer foods that are high in fat, salt and sugar
• Children understand the importance of eating healthy food, and tuck shops provide sandwiches, baked potatoes, healthy pizza, yoghurt, milk, and fruit juice in small portion packets
• Water is the 'choice' drink
• Curriculum focus on healthy eating is supported by the environment at the school or early childhood education service
• Enhanced student input into healthy eating options in schools
• A whole school approach underlies the schools way of working.

Getting you thinking

What do your students see as the best approach to improving their nutrition and how can they be supported to make these changes?

How are you and the families in your community working together to improve the nutrition of your children and young people?

How could you go about running an ECE service or school fundraiser using healthy foods or no-food activities where children are rewarded with suitable fun activities instead of lollies and fast food vouchers?

How would you organise and gain support for family (or other education facility) shared food events with a healthy eating focus?

What about ECE service or school vegetable plots, with a focus on growing produce, tending the vegetable garden, preparing and cooking the produce?

What about a club – an after school cooking/gardening club? What would you need?

Where is an area of need in your school or ECE service?

How do I make an application

1. Complete the Schools Needs Assessment Survey, or Early Childhood Education Needs Assessment Survey and identify an initiative that will promote healthy eating in your school or ECE environment. 
   (If you have already completed the needs assessment consult with students, parents, BOT, etc.)
   
   

   Needs Assessment Forms

   Choose either the PDF version or the Word version for either Early Childhood Education or Schools.
   (Note: The Word document version allows you to enter your information on the computer, the PDF version needs to be printed out first and then filled in by hand.)

   • Needs Assessment - Early Childhood Education
     PDF document (49 KB) | Word document (84 KB)
   • Needs Assessment - Schools
     PDF document (54 KB) | Word document (94 KB)
2. Complete the application form and attach a copy of the needs assessment.
   (Note: This application form can be filled in on the computer and content can be saved.)
   • Application Form
     (PDF, 221 KB)
3. Attach a copy of any quotes you may have.
4. Gain sign-off from you Board of Trustees (schools only) and Principal/Supervisor
5. Submit your application to Andrea Kendrick (contact details at the bottom of this page)

How will applications be assessed?

Your application will be assessed based on the priorities listed above and the ability of the intervention to overcome an identified need.

A copy of your needs assessment should be attached and a description of how the healthy eating intervention will overcome that need.

Nutrition Fund Process

A diagram outlining the process from start to finishish (including key dates) can be downloaded and printed by clicking on the link below.

• Nutrition Fund Process (PDF, size: 64 KB)

Application deadlines

Applications will close on:

• Friday, 31st October 2008

Nutrition Fund Applications and Enquiries Contact

Andrea Kendrick
HEHA Coordinator - Education
West Coast District Health Board
P O Box 544
Greymouth

Email:

Phone: (03) 768-1308, Extn. 807#