Water is Cool in School Campaign (United Kingdom)
Following concerns over the poor fluid intake of children at school, the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health carried out a questionnaire survey on behalf of the Enuresis Resource and Information Centre (ERIC), of drinking facilities in primary and secondary schools in two local education authorities. The surveys highlighted a variable provision of facilities and access to drinking water. Following this, the national ‘Water is Cool in School’ campaign was launched by ERIC. Its aims were:
- To increase public awareness of the health benefits to children of drinking water regularly throughout the school day.
- To improve the quality of provision and access to fresh drinking water in schools.
- To obtain a government review of the regulations relating to drinking facilities in schools.
The campaign successfully raised the profile of drinking water in schools. It produced a national information pack for schools outlining why it is important for children to drink water regularly during the school day and best-practice guidelines for facilities and access to water. An information pack for parents, posters, stickers and a tough sports water bottle were also available. Part of the work also involved local health professionals setting up regional campaigns. Most of these campaigns spent their budget on awareness raising initiatives in schools, trying to persuade head teachers through information. Many of the schools contacted by the campaign, set up water schemes that included regular drinks of water as a key element of their learning strategies. Through their work, the Water is Cool in School campaign raised awareness of the issues surrounding drinking water and worked hard to improve the quality of provision and access to drinking water in schools.
