MEND Graduates

MEND is committed to investing in services that promote sustainability of the health and

fitness improvements that children achieve on the MEND Programme and that encourage

MEND families to lead MEND-Friendly lives well after the Programmes have ended.

MEND promotes this both on a local and central level:

Locally:

Local sites running MEND are encouraged to develop local exit strategies for families completing the MEND Programme. Where local budgets will allow it, this includes providing free or discounted leisure/swim passes to the local leisure centres for several months after the programme, as well as actively signposting families to other local activity clubs, after-school clubs and exercise programmes running locally. In addition, several local MEND sites have successfully piloted MEND Graduate Exercise Classes, which enable the families to continue to meet together once a week for an hour of fun play and activity for the children after the MEND Programme ends.

Centrally:

MEND is also actively developing a number of exciting services for MEND Graduates centrally. These will be introduced across the coming year and are likely to include:

Fostering national partnerships with organizations such as Little Legs/Get Walking (a new initiative of The Rambler's Association) and other like organizations that can provide MEND Graduates with opportunities to continue to be fit and active and live a MEND-Friendly life!
Password-protected access for graduates to MEND's website, to access updates on new MEND-Friendly recipe ideas; new MEND-Friendly products available; seasonal handouts;
Regional MEND Graduate events
Run for the Children

Run for the Children is a health and fitness initiative for families organised on a national basis in the

with the key aim of encouraging kids and families alike to discover the fun and benefits of exercise and a healthier lifestyle. Central to our programme is a 3k fun run in which everyone of all ages (from 4 years upwards) and abilities can participate. Often this is the first time that parents, families and their children have exercised together. We organise on average 40 fun runs across the

each year and work in a genuine and close partnership with schools, local authorities, the Primary Care Trust and athletics clubs. All our fun runners receive a medal for their achievement and a fun packed booklet full of useful tips on exercises, nutritional advice and recipes. We are supported by the Youth Sport Trust and fundraise for CHILDREN with LEUKAEMIA. For information on fun runs and how to enter, please visit www.runforthechildren.co.uk.