Council extends project to tackle health inequality around schools

Lambeth council is extending a project to tackle health inequalities in some of the borough’s most deprived neighbourhoods.

The authority is working with partners and the Mayor of London to build on its School Superzone scheme, which aims to improve the health of children and families.

The council is installing water fountains and green barriers, conducting surveys with off-licences on alcohol minimum unit pricing and offering business rate rebates to employers who sign up to the London Living Wage in an effort to boost household incomes.

Lambeth was an early adopter of the pilot programme, which was first set up in August 2018 as a joint trial involving Public Health England, City Hall, London Councils and local authorities.

Leader of the council Cllr Claire Holland joined Joanne McCartney, Deputy Mayor of London for Children and Families yesterday at Henry Fawcett Primary School in Bowling Green Street, Kennington to discuss the progress made, and next steps.

There are seven School Superzones in Lambeth, which are set up as a 400 metre areas around schools where work is done to create healthier places for children, young people and their families to live, learn and play.

They aim to tackle health issues outside the school gates and beyond the reach of schools.

That includes pupils’ exposure to unhealthy fast food takeaways, traffic fumes, betting shops and air pollution. It is also often difficult for them to walk and cycle.

Cllr Holland said: “We all have a huge responsibility to create neighbourhoods where every young person can get a healthy start to life.

“In our borough, young people from the households with the least are often those more exposed to negatives in their local area, such as polluted air, unhealthy food and dangerous traffic.

“These inequalities have been further highlighted and exacerbated during the Covid-19 pandemic, and the impacts continue to be felt by those residents.

“As part of our efforts to recover from the pandemic and the further challenges we now face, Lambeth council and its partners are redoubling our efforts to create a borough where all children can thrive, regardless of their background.”

Henry Fawcett Primary School is within a Superzone cluster of seven Lambeth schools consisting of two secondaries and five primaries.

The zone was identified as one with high needs in a deprived area with high footfall.

The council’s public health team identified priority issues in partnership with the schools, including access to healthy food and drink, air quality, road safety and active travel, the London Living Wage and the price of alcohol.

Pictured top: Cllr Claire Holland (first on the right hand end of the picture) joined Joanne McCartney (third from right) with colleagues from Public Health and the GLA at Henry Fawcett Primary School in Kennington, yesterday (Picture: Lambeth council)