SUGAR SMART Carlisle

What is SUGAR SMART UK?

SUGAR SMART UK was set up by Sustain and the Jamie Oliver Food Foundation working with councils, businesses, institutions and other sectors to help reduce overconsumption of sugar in their local areas. SUGAR SMART takes a cross-sector approach to transforming local food environments and raising public awareness of the impacts of consuming too much sugar.

What’s the issue?

Nationally:

• In the UK, the NHS spends between £5 and 9 billion a year treating obesity and related complications such as Type 2 Diabetes. 
• Each year there are 7,000 limb amputations because of Type 2 diabetes.
• 26,000 children are admitted to hospital for multiple tooth extraction under general anaesthetic caused by excessive sugar consumption.
• One in every five children starts primary schools overweight or obese and by the time they reach secondary school it’s one in three.

Locally:

• Carlisle and Cumbria have higher than average incidence of Type 2 Diabetes.
• There are huge problems with oral health in Carlisle – dental decay; cavities; missing or filled teeth (especially in children). In 2014-15, 32% of five year olds had dental decay.
• There are rising obesity levels due to a poor diet and consumption of too much sugar. During 2013-15, excess weight amongst adults in Carlisle district was recorded as 68%. And, in 2015-16, 35.5% of year 6 children in Carlisle were recorded as overweight or obese.
• And a higher than average mortality rate from cardiovascular disease.

All of which excess sugar has a direct correlation with; this is why we need your help to raise awareness.

Click HERE to watch 'Jamie's Sugar Rush' - Jamie’s Channel 4 documentary on the dangers of too much sugar.

Or Click HERE to watch 'Jack Runs Up The Hill', a film produced in partnership with Film Cumbria to highlight the problem of childhood obesity: More about this project can be found HERE.

What is SUGAR SMART Carlisle?

As you can see, the effect of excess sugars in our diets is causing major adverse health issues. The SUGAR SMART Carlisle project aims to raise awareness, highlighting unknown facts about hidden sugar with the goal of providing this vital information to our communities and promoting positive healthier lifestyle choices.

Throughout the delivery of this project our overall aim is to raise awareness and get as many people involved in developing the project. We are looking to work with community groups, schools, sports and leisure centres, restaurants, workplaces and other organisations across the district. We aim to spread the word as far as possible as the project builds.

We are developing SUGAR SMART resources (challenges, word searches, quizzes and factsheets) so that people can get invovled in their own community groups, school, club or workplace. 

Check out our SUGAR SMART Carlisle Video made in Partnership with Carlisle College

Click HERE to read more about the making of this video; working in partnership with the Carlisle College media students.

How can I get involved?

Would you like to take part? Do you think you could help make Carlisle District SUGAR SMART?

We’d love to hear from you! There are many ways you can help to make Carlisle a SUGAR SMART city:

• Click here to register your interest today and we'll send you your login details to the Sugar Smart website; get access to tools and assets to help your organisation become Sugar Smart!
• Take our Online Survey Now! – How much do you know about the sugar in your diet? Take this short survey and be entered into our Free Prize Draw! (Please read our Terms & Conditions)
• Want more information? Contact our friendly SUGAR SMART Carlisle coordinator today!  

EMAIL: Gillian.Gilbert@carlisle.gov.uk ...Ask Gillian about: 

- Becoming a SUGAR SMART Ambassador: Could you promote a healthy lifestyle at your work place? Would you like to volunteer at SUGAR SMART events? Or could you encourage local people and colleagues to consume less sugar?

- SUGAR SMART Carlisle Challenges: Could you set sugar challenges for your colleagues or students?

- SUGAR SMART Carlisle School resources: Get access to an array of resources. Designed your own sugar quizzes, posters or puzzles? Send it to us and we could publish it on the SUGAR SMART Website.

- Can you help us inform our young people?

- Could you feature some information in a newsletter?

- SUGAR SMART Carlisle events: Find out more about up coming events

- Would you like to sponsor SUGAR SMART Carlisle or become a partner organisation?

- Can you think of something we’ve missed? Let us know your ideas.

• Don’t forget, if you take part in any SUGAR SMART activities - from Quizzes to Sponsored Events - we’d love to hear about it. Tweet us @SugarSmartCA #SugarSmartCarlisle

We can’t do this project alone, your help could give us the boost we need to bring this project to our community and make Carlisle SUGAR SMART.

Sugar Smart Carlisle’s Background History & Upcoming Events:

• May 2017: Food Carlisle & Carlisle City Council were approached to deliver SUGAR SMART​ Carlisle 
• May 2017: We went to Liverpool to take part in the SUGAR SMART workshop, here we got to chat to partners from other Cities who are currently on the same path.
• September 2017: Clare Almond became our SUGAR SMART Carlisle coordinator 
• 27th September 2017: SUGAR SMART Webinar
• 18th October 2017: SUGAR SMART introductory stakeholder meeting - Open to all
• 21st November 2017: Carlisle Primary Schools Council meeting; Sugar is the topic, in partnership with SUGAR SMART Carlisle. Click HERE to watch the Video.
• 19th January 2018: SUGAR SMART Carlisle Summit 
• 19th January 2018: Launch of the SUGAR SMART Carlisle Video at the SUGAR SMART Carlisle Summit 
• 23rd June 2018: Community Rail in the City event
• 7th July 2018: NHS 70th Birthday event; Click HERE to watch the slideshow video from this event, see who else was there!
• 26th July 2018: Carlisle Libary family day 
• Keep an eye out for Upcoming Events!