RESIDENTS of Jaywick are being encouraged to get fresh and fruity with the help of an innovative new project organised by local NHS Health Trainers.

A van will tour Jaywick every Friday starting 15 January 2010, offering fresh fruit and vegetables at low cost. The van will be manned by Health Champions who have been trained by the Health Trainers team at NHS North East Essex to help people achieve a healthier lifestyle.

As well as selling the fruit and vegetables, the Health Champions will be offering advice on healthy eating, handing out recipe cards and organising cook and taste sessions.

This project, named Fresh and Fruity, originated during recruitment taster sessions held in Tendring. Local people identified a problem with promoting the ‘eat five a day’ message, pointing out that there is poor access to reasonably priced produce, particularly in Jaywick.  Volunteers from Jaywick developed the idea of operating a van to sell fruit and vegetables at low cost that would operate in the area weekly.

Fresh and Fruity highlights:

• affordable fresh fruit and vegetables
• free recipe cards, giving people more ideas on how to prepare different items
• more seasonal produce which is more affordable, thus enabling people to eat more healthily on a limited budget

Where we'll be:

The van will park at five regular locations, ensuring good access for all parts of the locality at times that are convenient to local people. The locations are:

• 10am Signpost, Lotus Way
• 11.30am Green Elms GP surgery
• 1pm Three Jays pub, rear car park
• 2pm Brooklands Resource centre
• 3pm Frobisher Primary school.

Health Trainers

The idea behind NHS Health Trainers is to target lifestyle related health inequalities with hard to reach people in disadvantaged communities. Health Trainers aim to support people to make healthier choices and adopt healthier lifestyles.

The key target areas the Health Trainer initiative tackles are smoking, low levels of physical activity, alcohol and substance abuse, obesity, poor mental health and emotional well-being, poor sexual health, and long-term conditions such as cardio vascular disease, diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and high blood pressure.

Anyone interested in accessing the Health Trainers or interested in becoming a volunteer Health Trainer should contact 0800 7313 133 for further information.