A PURFLEET café is helping spearhead a crusade to keep Thurrock residents healthy and trim.

The Purfleet Community Pantry and Café is playing its part in Thurrock Council's Healthy Weight Strategy 2024-2030.

The café opened in August last year to give residents access to surplus stock from local businesses. The volunteer-run café charges a one-off membership fee for unlimited access to the café, which is said to save £21 a week on a weekly shop.

In addition to helping to feed families, the café also promotes healthy food choices and reduces food waste.

The strategy, which will be debated by the Thurrock's health and wellbeing board next week, reveals 64.6 per cent of Thurrock residents and 54 per cent of expectants mothers are overweight or obese. Figures show 21.4 per cent of reception children are overweight along with 37.7 Year 6 pupils.

The strategy will see the council working with communities, schools and health services to tackle the problem.

The council's ParkPlay scheme is also helping children's development, "supporting cognitive, physical, social, and emotional wellbeing". It allows youngsters to utilise parks for weekly two-hour sessions of free, community-led play.

In a foreword to the strategy, Mark Hooper, chairman of the health and wellbeing board and councillor responsible for health and wellbeing, said: "Good health is the cornerstone of a thriving society, and achieving a healthy weight plays a vital role in overall wellbeing.

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However, we recognise that this journey is not always simple. It requires collective action, from individuals, communities, and organisations, to build environments that support healthier choices and long-term positive change."

Cllr Mark Hooper

Cllr Hooper added: "More than just a strategy, this is a commitment to collaboration, innovation, and practical solutions that make a real difference.

"Rather than promoting quick fixes or one-size-fits-all approaches, it focuses on creating lasting habits, removing barriers, and ensuring that everyone has the support they need to lead a healthier life.

"By working together, we can create a future where healthy choices are the easiest and most accessible choices for all."