A sign banning ball games has been removed from an estate in Haringey as a borough-wide drive to encourage children to live more active lifestyles gathers pace. The sign on the Stellar House Estate in Northumberland Park was removed by Haringey Council’s Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, Cllr Peter Morton and Tottenham Hotspur Football Club Ambassador Ledley King.
Children from nearby Brook House Primary School were among the first to take advantage of the removal of the sign and took part in football skills session with Ledley and coaches from Tottenham Hotspur Foundation.
The removal of the sign, which was backed by the residents’ association on the estate, follows a pledge last year from Haringey Council and Homes for Haringey to become one of the first authorities in the country to review ‘No Ball Games’ signs and remove those where it is appropriate to do so. The policy is part of a wider drive to reduce obesity locally.
The removal of the No Ball Game signs is the latest in a number of efforts in Haringey to try and reduce levels of obesity. Last June the council established the Haringey Obesity Alliance, a group of local public, private and voluntary sector organisations committed to supporting healthier living in Haringey.
The Alliance’s first member, the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, recently launched ‘Shape Up With Spurs’, a free healthy living programme for Haringey residents which includes twice weekly fitness sessions and expert nutritional advice. This followed the launch of a new ‘Sugar Smart’ app that encourages healthy eating at Stamford Hill Primary School and the opening of Chicken Town in Tottenham, a social enterprise that offers healthier fried chicken at a competitive price.
