The Mason Foundation writes to the Prime Minister regarding the recently published strategy on ‘Tackling Obesity: Empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’
Dear Mr Johnson,
I am writing to thank you for your recent Strategy, ‘Tackling Obesity: Empowering adults and children to live healthier lives’.
As the Founder of The Mason Foundation, a charity actively supporting hard to reach communities, empowering them to become more active through walking together; I am very much in support of your ‘Better Health’ Campaign.
We are working with Sport England and helping to protect the NHS, and like your Government, we seek to improve the health of the nation, where we have a focus on the disadvantaged, the vulnerable, and those with disabilities, allowing people to help themselves as much as possible, through gentle exercise, a natural improvement in diet and a subsequent bettering of mental health.
The Mason Foundation provides hard to reach communities with the starting point, gently nudging them into fun, easy to do, regular activity, where no kit or membership is needed; it is designed for everybody, “we leave no one behind”, but specifically for those who wouldn’t ordinarily participate in any form of physical activity.
Through The Mason Mile initiative, we support people to come together to walk “their miles, their way”, something that is particularly needed to boost physical and mental health of many vulnerable individuals throughout the country, as they come out of long periods of isolation and inactivity. www.masonfoundation.co.uk/
We are adopting a long term approach to cultural change, to help the communities most at need, to take control of their own future, by getting active, losing weight, adopting a healthy lifestyle and improving mental health; by providing community-based solutions that are centred around individual community’s needs. The Mason Mile brings together communities through a network of local partners including Local Authorities, Housing Associations, organisations supporting those with disabilities such as the blind, those with learning disabilities, public services such as the police and fire service, community and voluntary organisations such as the scouts/guides. Collaboratively these groups, with the local people, address barriers to participation and ensure The Mile reflects local needs. www.ceci.org.uk/going-the-mile/
If you would like to hear more about how our work plays its part, or discuss delivery within areas of deprivation in the UK, please do get in touch with The Mason Foundation’s CEO Anna Skeats anna.skeats@masonfoundation.co.uk
We look forward to hearing from you.
Kind Regards
Stephen Mason
