All fizzy drinks being sold from the Tuck Shop at the Canberra Centre will now always be sugar-free following a new policy introduced at the youth centre run by local charity Young Melksham.
Youth work manager Gemma Connolly said, “We wanted to stop the amount of sugar intake they were having in their drinks as part the wider Change for Life campaign, so decided that we would no longer stock any canned drinks that aren’t zero sugar.
“There have been some comments by the young people, but we have explained to them the amount of sugar that is actually in the drinks and when they understood just how much it was, some of them were really shocked.
“The charity run a tuck shop at all their youth clubs with a range of fizzy drinks, chocolate, other sweets and ice creams, as well as simple hot snacks including burgers, hot dogs and chicken nuggets. There is also a selection of free sugar-free squash drinks available at every session and often free cakes or fruit that has been kindly donated by the Tesco’s store at Bowerhill.”
Chair of trustees Jon Hubbard added, “We wanted to take positive steps to help our young members to reduce their sugar intake but also recognise that they deserved to have a real choice over what they purchase. If we just stopped stocking the chocolate and sweets that we have, then they would just go and buy them from somewhere else before coming into club.
“So instead, we chose to limit the range available to include only sugar-free drinks and reduce the range of other sugar intensive products.
“Our range of hot food from the kitchen is always more healthy with everything baked and not fried, and a selection of cheaper snacks such as toast, crumpets and bagels, as well as the favourite chicken nuggets and burgers.”
Young Melksham is based at The Canberra Centre, 56 Spa Road, Melksham SN12 7NY. Contact details are 01225 667327; hello@youngmelksham.org.uk; www.youngmelksham.org.uk
Above: Volunteer peer leader, Jack Casey, who helps run the tuck shop at the Canberra Club on a Tuesday evening, shows off some of the range of sugar free drinks available at the club.
