Supporting healthy lifestyles: Shire Services engages pupils at Energize STW School Games
Shire Services supported the recent School Games event delivered by Energize Shropshire, Telford & Wrekin (STW), helping to inspire hundreds of primary school pupils to develop healthier habits.
Visiting stakeholders with Shire Services and Energize STW staff and Sammy Sweetcorn engaging in the “Guess the Hidden Vegetable” challenge
Held at Sundorne Sports Village in Shrewsbury, the day brought together 375 pupils from 35 schools, alongside young leaders and school staff. A range of VIP guests and stakeholders from across the region also attended, including representatives from local authorities, education trusts, charities and community organisations, highlighting a shared commitment to improving health and wellbeing for young people.
Funded by Sport England and delivered locally by Energize STW, the School Games is an inclusive, nationwide initiative promoting teamwork, confidence and wellbeing. It provides both competitive and non-competitive opportunities, creating a welcoming environment where all pupils can take part and enjoy being active, while helping to embed physical activity at the heart of school life.
Alongside the sporting activities, Shire Services engaged pupils through a series of fun, hands-on activities designed to promote healthier food choices. These included a “Guess the Hidden Vegetable” challenge, demonstrating how vegetables can be incorporated into desserts in a fun and accessible way, an approach also reflected in Shire Services’ menus, where hidden vegetables are used to help increase pupils’ intake while maintaining taste and appeal.
Pupils also took part in a “Guess the Number of Popcorn Kernels” competition, with a fruit basket prize kindly donated by local supplier, Rowlands & Co. The competition proved popular throughout the day, with the winning guess submitted by a pupil from Ludlow Primary School.
They also enjoyed meeting Shire Services’ mascot, Sammy Sweetcorn, who joined in the activities and helped bring energy and enthusiasm to the event.
Susan Vuli, General Manager at Shire Services, said:
“It was fantastic to be part of such an energetic and inspiring event. At Shire Services, we are passionate about helping children develop healthy habits for life, and events like this are a great way to show that nutritious food can be enjoyable, accessible and fun.
Working alongside Energize STW allows us to bring together healthy eating and physical activity, supporting schools in creating a holistic approach to pupil wellbeing.”
Jake Jones, Programme Officer – Children and Young People at Energize STW, added:
“The School Games are all about giving young people positive experiences of sport and wellbeing, and it was brilliant to have Shire Services involved on the day.
Their activities added another dimension, helping pupils think differently about food while they were being active, and supporting our shared aim of building healthier, more confident young people.”
Alex Wagner, deputy leader and portfolio holder for transformation and economic growth at Shropshire Council, said:
“Events like the School Games highlight the impact of strong partnership working in improving children and young people’s health and wellbeing. It’s inspiring to see so many pupils from across the county taking part in such an inclusive and positive environment.
Shire Services plays an important role in supporting schools to provide nutritious, high-quality meals that underpin pupils’ health and development. Working with organisations like Energize STW strengthens this work, bringing together healthy eating and physical activity to help children develop positive, lasting habits.”
The event also provided an opportunity for Shire Services to connect with education leaders and showcase its wider offer, including school meals designed to meet School Food Standards, external hospitality and event catering, and training and compliance support for schools and organisations, support for schools and organisations – helping to make catering provision easier to manage while encouraging pupil health and wellbeing.
Through its partnership with Energize STW, Shire Services works with schools to take a holistic approach to wellbeing – combining nutrition, education and physical activity to support healthier, more active children and develop positive habits in both the classroom and dining hall.
