Vale Healthy Living Team aim to increase the number of people taking parts in sports and play opportunities across the Vale to increase their health and wellbeing.
Sports and Play
When children are a healthy weight, they feel better about themselves. They find it easier to play and learn. And they’re more likely to grow up healthy too. That’s why making sure they’re a healthy weight right from the start is one of the best things you can do to set them up for life.
Every child in Wales has the right to the very best start in life and to help them along the way, Public Health Wales has launched Every Child Wales.
The website is full of ideas to help you give your child a healthy and happy future.
Every Child Wales
Better Health - Healthier Families (Formely known as Change 4 Life) provides fun ideas to help your kids and your family stay healthy, the site includes information on food facts, recipes and activities
NHS Better Health - Healthier Families
Healthier lunchbox recipes
Get loads of easy-to-prepare ideas as well as tips of what else to put in their lunchboxes from Better Health - Healthier Families.
Better Health - Healthier Families
Free Health and Wellbeing Check
The 'Add to your life' health and wellbeing check is a free service in Wales which checks your physical health, including your food and alcohol consumption, exercise and BMI, and your mental health and wellbeing. It also provides lots of tips and information from health experts to help make you feel better. You can do the assessment on line and it only takes a few minutes:
'Add to your life' health and wellbeing check
The Food Vale Partnership
Inspiring healthier communities in the Vale of Glamorgan to connect with food during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond. Take a look at their website advice on healthy eating, information and support for local food businesses and lots of tasty and nutritious recipes to try at home.
Food Vale
Cardiff and Vale UHB videos on Introducing Solid Foods
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board have released a series of videos on ‘Introducing Solid Foods to Your Baby’. The 5th video is about babies progressing to family meals. It explains ways to help the transition such as introducing different textures, and ways to adapt the family meals. It also describes the different cues to identify whether your baby is hungry or full. It is informative and would be helpful for any parents with babies who are progressing to solid foods.
Introducing Solid Foods
NHS Healthy Start vouchers
If you’re pregnant* or have children under the age of 4* you can get FREE weekly vouchers or payments to spend on:
• cow’s milk
• fresh, frozen or tinned fruit and vegetables
• infant formula milk
• fresh, dried, and tinned pulses
• You can also get free Healthy Start vitamins
As of May 2021 nationally only 64% of those eligible accessed Healthy Start vouchers across Wales; take-up was lowest in the Vale of Glamorgan at 57% but is steadily increasing. Eligible families could be missing out on over £1,000. From April 2021 the voucher value has increased to £4.25 a week and a pre-paid card scheme is being introduced. Please get in touch if you’d like more information on making an application.
*Women who are at least 10 weeks pregnant up until their child turns 4 and receive certain benefits. Pregnant women under the age of 18 are also eligible.
NHS Healthy Start vouchers
Nutrition for Your Little One (NYLO)
NYLO is a free 6 week programme that can help you feel more confident to:
Provide a balanced diet for your child and help them to be a healthy weight.
NYLO is open to all families with children aged 5 years and under, living in Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan.
Nutrition for Your Little One (NYLO)
Period Dignity
The Vale of Glamorgan Council has been supporting families to ensure period dignity for women and girls from low income households throughout the pandemic. This project ensures that free period products can be delivered to pupils in a safe, practical and dignified way.
Ongoing support has been provided and products have been available via schools food parcel distribution, the 15plus team, youth wellbeing service and various housing partners. Partnerships with third sector organisations, including food banks, community hubs, family centres etc. have been put into place to ensure access to period products, free of charge and accessible in the most practical and dignified way possible.
Period Dignity