We've won funding to tackle childhood obesity

We will use the funding to test our powers to restrict food high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) advertising and use unsold outdoor advertising space for health promoting advertisements.

What is the COTP

The programme seeks innovative action to tackle childhood obesity at local level. It’s funded by the Department of Health and Social Care and managed by the Local Government Association with support from Public Health England. It is intended to test the limits of existing powers and develop solutions to local obstacles aiming to enable ambitious local action and to achieve change at scale.

The project plans to:

• implement a voluntary restriction across the borough through contracts with major advertising estate owners working in partnership with JCDecaux, Outsmart and ISBA (representing outdoor media owners and brands). This builds on the Transport for London (TFL) estate HFSS restrictions which cover 50% of advertising space in the borough, to cover all JCDecaux owned estate in year one, taking total restrictions across 80% of out of home (OOH) advertising space
• use the remaining advertising space to promote tailored local public health campaigns such as Sugar Smart and the Daily Mile
• support local businesses to offer healthier food options.

Councillor Chris Best, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Health and Older Adults, said: ‘We are delighted to be part of this programme. While we are making progress to reduce childhood obesity across Lewisham, with nearly one in five children obese or overweight when they start reception, we need to push harder to change this.

‘Advertisers recognise they have a role to play and we are grateful that some leading advertisers are working with us on this programme to make the most of this important opportunity to positively shape behaviours and impact child obesity rates.’

We will be part of the trailblazer learning network which will share learning at regional and national events.