Nutrition, health and wellbeing stories
The Better Tomorrow Plan is not only a strategy - it is the way we do business. Read our stories from the field to see how we bring our commitments to nutrition, health and wellbeing to life.
Healthcheck days
As part of our commitment to employee engagement and to promote healthy living amongst our employees, clients and customers, we are holding annual health check days at our corporate offices. Wan Mak, head of nutrition and dietetics along with another dietitian and a team member from Healthworks, our gym offer, are available to hundreds colleagues employees to check their BMI (body mass index), body composition, waist size and flexibility. Following the measurements, employees are given advice on healthy lifestyles including nutrition fact sheets, healthy diet tips and sign-posting for exercise. These health check days reflect Sodexo's nutrition, wellbeing and lifestyle philosophy, Healthwise.
For more information, visit the Healthwise website.
Healthworks
Healthworks is a Sodexo offer dedicated to managing workplace health, fitness and wellbeing facilities for our clients' employees. Our updated Healthworks offer (2011) includes the option of on-site gyms, 'virtual' gyms that encourage healthy lifestyles through online interaction, and 'fresh air' gyms in suitable outdoor spaces.
For more information, read the Healthworks press release.
Cycle challenge at our London head office
A team of Sodexo employees at the London offices recently took part in Transport for London's Cycle Challenge - finishing in 18th position from a field of 350 companies in the same category! The team of ten donned their cycle helmets for the London 2011 Cycle Challenge, which ran from 18 June to 15 July, and clocked a whopping 2,567 miles during the four-week period. Between them, the team burned nearly 130,000 calories - that's the equivalent of nearly 430 cupcakes - and saved 1.28 tonnes of carbon.
healthyliving in Scotland
We support the Scottish Government's healthyliving award, which requires businesses to provide food with low levels of saturated fats, salt and sugar, make fruit and vegetables readily available, offer nutritious food for children and highlight healthy options.
“The commitment shown by each Sodexo site in producing healthy food is exemplary, setting an industry benchmark that all organisations should strive for. By helping staff and customers to make informed choices from healthier options, Sodexo is helping to improve diets across Scotland.”
Yvonne Traynor, healthyliving award project manager
For more information, visit the healthyliving award website.
Board game promotes healthy eating in schools
Sodexo's NVQ qualified nutrition champions have designed a new board game to teach children all about nutrition and healthy eating. The game, called 'Life's Better Balanced', is available at the primary schools where Sodexo provides a meal service. The nutrition champions, from Sodexo's Education segment, came up with the game as part of their mission to help promote Healthwise - the company's nutrition, wellbeing and lifestyle philosophy.
The board game aims to help children aged between five and eleven to understand the building blocks of a healthy diet. Players move around an apple-shaped board answering questions to collect cards showing apple segments. The winner is the first person to cover their own apple by collecting a segment from each of the five food groups: protein, milk and dairy, carbohydrates, fruit and vegetables and foods high in fat and sugar.
Jane Bristow, managing director, Sodexo Education, said: “This game is a great example of what can be achieved when people work together. It is a really innovative way of educating young children about healthy eating while they play.”
For more information, visit the Healthwise website.
Thousands of apples and dozens of apple trees given to schools
Sodexo gave away dozens of apple trees and up to 25,000 Bramley apples to local schools near Sodexo Defence sites across Somerset, North Yorkshire, near Salisbury and in Powys as part of the 25th birthday celebrations of Healthwise in 2010.
The giveaway encouraged local school children to get digging and to plant, grow and eat their own fresh fruit and vegetables. Apple trees were also planted on military bases where Sodexo provides on-site services to the Armed Forces.
“We have been at the forefront of raising awareness of the benefits of healthy eating for over 25 years and always seek new ways to engage with not just our customers, but also with the communities local to the military bases where we work.”
Andy Leach, managing director of Sodexo Defence
Creating harmony at HMP Addiewell
Classical musician Shona Brown runs weekly sessions for prisoners at HMP Addiewell in West Lothian.
Shona, a flautist, singer and former finalist in the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition, was invited to start singing lessons by Lorna Chalmers, the prison's head of learning and development.
Shona is pleased with the response of the prisoners: “We have about 12 now every week and they are very keen. Some of them are very good singers. They enjoy the choir and really go for it, which is great. Singing reduces stress levels and really improves listening skills. They have to really listen to each other to harmonise and they have to work together as a team. It is good for them to work at something until it is right and it is certainly helping improve their confidence.”
Shona hopes the choir will one day give a concert at Addiewell and may even make a recording.
Back to stories from the field page.
