Blackburn firm and football clubs boost children's health

7:42pm Tuesday 13th May 2008

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A BLACKBURN firm has teamed up with Premiership football to take healthy messages to children.

Promethean, which makes resources for teachers, has kitted out three "healthy buses" with interactive whiteboards in partnership with Everton FC.

And it is now working with the government to roll out the scheme across all Premiership clubs.

The buses, which visit primary schools in Liverpool, contain information about healthy eating and exercise, and the technology provided by Promethean allows children to use individual handsets to answer questions and take votes throughout the range of lessons available.

The scheme has been so successful in Liverpool that not only could it be rolled out across the country, it has also attracted the attention of education chiefs in South Africa.

They hope to modify the idea and use the buses to play a vital role in calming racial tensions among schoolchildren in the run-up to the World Cup there in 2010.

Promethean's vice president (Europe) Paul Berry said: "Health of children is very important and on everyone's agenda, so we always want to do everything we can to support community schemes like Everton's.

"These buses are a very replicable thing and we're delighted that they have attracted so much interest. We trade in 70 different countries, so we can support this scheme all over the world."

The Promethean technology costs around £4,000 per bus, but the project makes no profit for the firm - it is part of Promethean's Corporate Social Responsibility programme.

Mr Berry said: "Teachers everywhere know and trust our work and they are really happy to see us doing this for the community too."

Sindi Shayi Lingela, deputy director-general of South Africa's Western Cape Education Department, visited Promethean to take a look at the bus.

She said: "We want to partner with Promethean and Everton because this is exactly the kind of thing we need in our province, but we have different challenges - we want to promote good relations, identify social problems and face racism in the run-up to 2010 and beyond.

"Kids love technology - they do lots of texting and they will really enjoy interacting with all the equipment."

Graham Lewis, chief executive of Everton in the Community, said: "This is part of our community programme and we want to take it our to other Premiership clubs with Promethean committed to supplying the equipment.

"It's a great scheme and Promethean have done a brilliant job."