The largest event and conference venue in Oxford is encouraging its staff and visitors to cut down on sugar, after joining a Jamie Oliver backed health campaign.

The King’s Centre, Oxford has joined the Sugar Smart, Oxford campaign by agreeing to actions to make it easier for people to reduce their sugar consumption. The partnership aims to encourage a healthier, greener and fairer food system that supports the local economy.

The initiative, which is jointly led by Good Food Oxford, the Jamie Oliver Food Foundation and Sustain, aims to make it easier for people to make healthier choices by making sugary produce less available or less well promoted.

The King’s Centre, Oxford, has introduced free drinking water as part of the campaign. It has installed two free drinking stations and will provide chilled tap water for all events, functions and staff areas. It has also agreed to make healthier food options more visible and in-house Head Chef Max Rapacz is working on a new reduced-sugar menu.

Health experts advise consuming too much sugar and too many foods and drinks high in sugar can lead to weight gain, which in turn increases the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and some cancers. It is also linked to tooth decay.

Michelle Fernandez, General Manager at the King’s Centre, Oxford, said: “The Sugar Smart, Oxford campaign is an important initiative that we are proud to support. By taking some small and simple steps we hope we will enable people to make healthier choices. Hidden sugars are a big issue and as a large venue we believe it is important to do more to provide our visitors and staff with ways to lead healthier lives.”

Jamie Oliver said: “It’s brilliant that The King’s Centre, Oxford have joined us and are launching their own Sugar Smart campaign. They’ll be joining us in raising awareness about the long-term damage too much sugar can have on our health and empowering us all to reduce it in our diets.”

The King’s Centre, Oxford, is the largest event space in the county. Based in Osney Mead, all its annual profits are invested into maintaining the building, Oxfordshire Community Churches and their associated charitable activities across the county.

Many partners have joined forces with Sugar Smart, Oxford, including Oxford City Council, the Jamie Oliver Foundation, Community Dental Services, Oxfordshire Clinical Commission Group and the Oxfordshire Workplace Wellbeing Network.

Adam Parry
Author: Adam Parry

Adam is the co-founder and editor of www.eventindustrynews.com Adam, a technology evangelist also organises Event Tech Live, Europe’s only show dedicated to event technology and the Event Technology Awards. Both events take place in November, London.