About Sugar Smart Greenwich

Sugar Smart is an exciting campaign designed to reduce the amount of sugar in our diets. We are raising awareness of the health impact of sugar and encouraging organisations to take actions that will help people to reduce their intake.

We are working with local, businesses, schools, children’s centres, hospitals and other organisations to promote healthier, lower sugar alternatives and limitless healthy choices.

By joining the campaign and pledging to make some simple changes to what you provide for your customers, you can help local people in your community to get ‘Sugar Smart’ and take control of their sugar intake.

Our Vision

To be a Sugar Smart borough, where our community is supported to make healthier, lower sugar choices.

Our Aim

To increase awareness and reduce sugar consumption across all age groups and communities in Greenwich.

How to be Sugar Smart

To get involved, all you need to do is identify three simple pledges that your organisation can take: around food, drink and advertising. Go Sugar Smart Now!

Below are some example pledges for Sugar Smart Greenwich – ideas to get you started, but you might want to do something completely different.

For a school:

Make sure non-diet fizzy drinks are not available at school.
Use student council meetings or PSHE classes to debate and educate about sugar, the sugar tax, and what should be done at the school.
Display and promote Sugar Smart message around the school, including the amount of sugar in common drinks and snacks
Run competitions for healthy eating within the school, e.g. between Houses, forms, or year groups.
Include nutritional workshops embedded in the core PE lesson programme

For a sports club:

Impose a 10p levy on the non-diet version of soft drinks, the proceeds of which are used to fund initiatives that support child health, either locally or via the Children’s Health Fund.
Use the scoreboard and put up signage, particularly where families or children are likely to gather, showing the amount of sugar in common snacks or drinks.
Elect a player ambassador for Sugar Smart, and encourage staff to “swap the pop” – switch to only diet drinks at work.
Include a greater variety of healthy options at conference events. Only provide fruit for dessert.

For a leisure centre:

Make free water easily available via water fountains.
Remove or reduce the number of vending machines, and restock them with low sugar drinks and snacks.
Display Sugar Smart messages on signs in on-site cafes
Put diet soft drinks/water at the front of the counter/fridge to encourage people to choose them.

For a food or catering business:

Reduce soft drink portion size, e.g. use smaller cups, or switch from 500ml bottles to 330ml cans.
Put diet soft drinks/water at the front of the counter/fridge to encourage people to choose them.
Add a 10p levy to non-diet drinks, the proceeds of which are donated to the Children’s Health Fund.
Provide a healthy option for dessert, e.g. low sugar version, or fruit
Display signs of the amount of sugar in soft drinks, on menus, on fridges, and tables