UK's first youth card launches in Barking school

Press Release

25/01/2010

The UK's first integrated youth card 'Street Base Connect' will pilot in Eastbury Comprehensive School, Barking from next month.

Street Base Connect, launched by Barking and Dagenham Council and NHS Barking and Dagenham, has been designed specifically to encourage young people from 11-19 years old to lead healthier, more active lives.

By taking positive actions like choosing healthier meals in their school lunch, taking part in sporting activities or volunteering for charities, the card holders will earn rewards points that they can trade in for exciting incentives.

The official launch took place at the school on Thursday, 21 January at Eastbury Comprehensive School. The card was introduced by Cllr Rocky Gill, cabinet member for education and children's wellbeing at Barking and Dagenham Council and David Dickson, Eastbury head teacher.

The launch event included exciting dance performances by Fusion dance group. Dagenham and Redbridge Football Club showcased their skills and young people took part in a competition to win an iPod. The catering was provided by three Eastbury students who previously won the borough's 'Food in Focus' competition.

Street Base Connect will provide access to youth, health, leisure and library services and for the first time ever, a cashless catering system will be introduced into schools across the borough. Eastbury will be the first school to introduce cashless catering.

The pioneering scheme draws all services together on the card and will encourage young people to increase participation in positive activities within their communities and lead healthier lives.

Street Base Connect will help to deliver change and lifestyle improvements on a large scale. It will also increase participation in many of the services on offer supporting the five outcomes in the Every Child Matters agenda, enabling young people to maximise their life chances and it will also help us to achieve one of the key objectives of the NHS, which is to reduce demand for medical intervention and will give health professionals the flexibility to do things like formally prescribe physical activity.

It will also remove the stigma of receiving 'free school meals' through the introduction of cashless catering in schools. Every student will purchase their meal using the card, with those students entitled to free school meals will have their meal allowance automatically credited to their card.

Parents will also be able to monitor their child's school meal choices and access nutritional information such as how much fat or carbohydrate their child has consumed in a week as a proportion of their meal choices. Cashless transactions will be faster and will shorten queues and the card will mean pupils will not have to carry cash around with them.

Cllr Rocky Gill, cabinet member for education and children's services, said: "Barking and Dagenham is the first borough to introduce this groundbreaking youth card.

"Street Base Connect is linked to the youth brand Street Base which successfully launched last year. The card will pilot in Eastbury School and students will have access to youth, leisure, library and health services for young people in a way that has never been seen before."

Maureen Worby, Chair of NHS Barking and Dagenham, said: "This is a massive step forward in the delivery of services to children and young people. For the first time anywhere in the UK, young people will be able to use a swipe card to borrow a library book, buy their school lunch, visit the local swimming pool or get access to free and confidential health advice and support. It's a fantastic scheme."

Matthew Cole, Joint Director of Public Health, said: "The more healthy choices a person makes the greater the rewards will be. We're confident this programme will have a real impact on reducing obesity and improving sexual and wellbeing among local young people.

David Dickson, head teacher at Eastbury Comprehensive School, said: ""We are thrilled and proud to be the first school in the UK to pilot the first integrated youth card.

"Continuous improvement is part of the ethos at Eastbury and Street Base connect will enhance our already excellent work in promoting health and well-being for all our students. This is an exciting opportunity to further develop our partnership work in supporting and helping our students on their way to better and healthier lifestyles. I would like to thank all the dedicated staff in the school and borough who are working hard to make this initiative a success and improve the life chances of young people."

Press Release Number: 11770

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UK's first youth card launches in Barking school

Press Release

Press Release Number: 11770

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