Healthy Wave goes to Göteborgs stad
- Healthy Wave
- Apr 1
- 4 min read
The whole Healthy Wave consortium gathered in Göteborgs stad for the mid-term meeting of the project on Wednesday 26th March. After the official opening by Sofia Faström the four mentee cities presented their roadmaps to improve the local whole school food approach. The goals vary from an attractive dinning area, to foster food waste reduction or create an optional course on healthy food. Besides the goals and challenges of the mentee cities also the mentor cities shared their challenges. These challenges were the input for a 7 minute speed dating; to talk shortly with all other partners one on one. To see if besides the mentee - mentor couples mutual learnings could start.
After the intensive and exploring speed dating, the program went on with the “Bamba experience” inside a school canteen. Where we not only ate the wonderful and healthy school meal but also went inside the kitchen and talked with their chef Pontus. We learned all about the importance of a good dinning area.
The afternoon program was also at the school, where the project partners were asked again what they expect from the Healthy Wave toolkit, one of the outputs of our project. Some new ideas were born and have given us new inspiration. During the study visits in all the four mentor cities all stakeholders and mentors were asked which factors are important in the whole school food approach; now the results were shown of this research. In three groups we discussed in smaller parts the causal loop diagram. Some new links and factors were found during these three rounds of discussion. The result of the research will be part of the toolkit.
Instead of the usual go back to the hotel, refresh and go to a restaurant, our host had a marvelous idea, to have a home cooking class at the school. After an introduction we had to prepare in 7 small groups a three course dinner; Pontus the chef of the kitchen helped the small groups if needed. Besides learning to cook some Swedish dishes, this is a great way to lift the group spirit. We all enjoyed our own cooking and left satisfied the school towards our hotel.
After visiting on Wednesday a school in the northern part of Göteborgs stad, on Thursday early in the morning we went to the southwest of the city, where we met cities from the working group Children and young people of Eurocities. After an introduction of the Healthy Wave project by myself and an introduction of the working group by Michelle Wright of the city of Glasgow, we visited in two groups preschools in the neighbourhood. There they introduced and show us the way in Göteborgs stad preschools are organised. Also we saw how healthy the meals are and how the kitchen operates.
After the inspirational site visits we got introduced to “The school as an Arena” programme at the Frejaskolan community school by the school principal, and the coordinator. “The school as an Arena” helps children from vulnerable communities in an innovative way. Gothenburg selected a group of young residentd aged 6 to 18 and involved them in activities carried out inside the school building during and outside the school hours. They follow a family-oriented approach and increase activities according to the needs and wishes of those in the area.
Central to this model is the the coordinator: the person covering this role plans and executes the activities after previously determining the group needs; documents and follows the programme; is the primary contact person for the target community, the organisations and stakeholders involved.
Every day after school and on weekends, kids are encouraged to try new activities, lead their own actions, go on field trip, and join food clubs. They realised that some of the children started school without eating breakfast in the morning, so together with two local partners an housing cooperation and volvo cars, they are providing breakfast now.
After another “Bamba experience” in the community school, we got introduced to three local level collaborations, how food can foster social inclusion. The importance of a snack during after school activities, the earlier meant breakfast club, and family saturdays by a local children and youth association. After the coffee break with some Swedish fika, one group went to a family center, and the other group stayed at the community school, where they got informed about the Switch project. In that project they have a Swedish food hub. In the hub they focus on healthy and sustainable eating meaning choosing to eat plenty of vegetables, fruit and berries, whole grain, beans and lentils, natural nuts and seeds, vegetable oils and sustainably produced fish and seafood. They have the Blue Switch, where they promote sustainable sea food like seaweed; The Green Switch, to have more vegetables and legumes on the plates and focus on whole grains.
The second project presented by the University of Gothenburg was a youth participatory action research project, about developing tasty, nutritious, sustainable and local menus for youth. In the end they want to build business case for new and existing Swedish producers to provide products to Swedish schools that are tasty, nutritious and sustainable for the environment and economic growth.
The other group went to a family center. Where the local team presented their aims, strategies, activities and challenges. Many questions were answered by the team who also showed the centre. After these inspirations the groups came together at the school to reflect on the day and to tell to Gothenburg what we will take back home what we learned and maybe can implement in our city or schools. The dinner was in an old cinema, and there the Healthy Wave visit ended. I’m sure we all got inspired and motivated back to our own cities.
Written by René Keijzer, city of Rotterdam