Vitamin D challenge top spot goes to Parsons Green Reception Team

Health centres and children's centres in the inner boroughs have been taking part in a Vitamin D Challenge organised by  Mytime Active to increase the number of Healthy Start vitamins being given out to young families from April - June this year in Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster.

The Parsons Green team led by Beverley Allen handed out 842 vitamins to mums and families during the challenge - the highest amount by far!  Reception staff worked hard during the challenge, creating displays and working with health visiting teams during clinics to remind mums to visit reception and pick up vitamins once their appointment had finished.

Beverley had this say about their win, "The reception team were very enthusiastic about the challenge.  We decorated the baby clinic with balloons and put out a lot of information regarding the benefits of taking the vitamins. We handed out vitamins to as many parents as possible and also advised parents on how to administer the vitamin drops to their children."

Taking Healthy Start vitamin supplements helps keep bones and teeth healthy and stop the development of rickets - a painful bone condition being seen in some children in London.

Healthy Start vitamins provide most of the recommended amount of vitamin D for children and are available free of charge for children aged one month to five years old. They are also available for women thinking about becoming pregnant, women expecting a baby and mums with infants under one. They can be collected from health centres and children's centres in Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster.

Visit www.healthystart.nhs.uk for more information.