Active Kids voucher scheme is launched
Pictured are Rob Batson, Harry Wells and Joe Margetts with Sainsbury's Jasmine Tansur playing hockey.
Shoppers can now help out their school or community group by shopping at Harborough’s Sainsbury’s supermarket.
Staff from the Sainsbury’s store in town marked the launch of its annual Active Kids campaign last month when they visited Harborough’s Robert Smyth School and played hockey with students, using some of the equipment they have received from the Active Kids scheme.
During the campaign, customers will be given one voucher for every £10 spent at the Harborough store in St Mary’s Place, at the petrol station off Springfield Street or when they buy groceries online. The vouchers can then be donated to a local registered organisation of their choice.
This year sees a new element added to the scheme – the Active Kids Challenge – which is harnessing the success of the Million Kids Challenge, Sainsbury’s is encouraging Harborough schools, groups and clubs to complete six weeks of challenges.
Each week starts with four new challenges - Game, Skill, Food and David Beckham’s 1 Minute Challenge – to encourage children to lead healthier, more active lifestyles.
Organisations that complete all six weeks of the challenges get the chance to win places at the Active Kids Challenge Live! event to meet the Active Kids ambassadors, football star David Beckham and Paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds.
Schools, scouts, guide groups and sports clubs from Harborough will all have the chance to meet the stars at the event.
To be in with a chance of attending, the local organisations are urged to get as many children to take part in the four activities each week, which encourages children to tackle tasks such as target practice and bench steps.
Jim Lavin, Sainsbury’s Harborough store manager, said: “It’s important to help keep children enthused about all different kinds of activities - from play to sport – and we’re confident that Active Kids 2013 will help achieve this goal.
“We really hope customers and colleagues get collecting for Active Kids 2013, so children from all over Harborough can benefit from this fantastic scheme.”
Active Kids ambassador Beckham (pictured, inset) said: “I know first-hand how important it is to get active from a young age and now as a father-of-four, it’s more important to me than ever to help pass that message to children.
“Some of my happiest childhood memories involve the simplest activities, so I’m proud to be fronting the 1 Minute Challenge and helping children – of all ages and abilities – from Harborough and the rest of the country to enjoy moving and getting active.”
Customers can collect Active Kids vouchers when they shop at Sainsbury’s until May 22. Registered organisations, which include schools, nurseries, scout groups, guide groups and sports clubs, can redeem the vouchers for a range of sports equipment or experiences to help get kids active.
Active Kids was launched in February 2005 in response to growing concerns around children’s inactivity and obesity levels. The scheme has now donated more than £120 million worth of equipment and experiences nationally to over 49,000 organisations.
For more information, visit the website www.sainsburys.co.uk/activekids.
Story by Alex Blackwell
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Weather for Harborough
Saturday 25 May 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 4 C to 17 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 6 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: West
