Member Article

Fruity business at Doxford Park

The Sunderland branch of a national business is encouraging staff to get fruity this Friday as part of a UK-wide cancer awareness campaign. Fruity Friday on May 25 has been organised by the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF), to raise awareness of the links between diet, nutrition and cancer. EDF Energy in Doxford is hosting a programme of events on the day to get employees thinking about the health benefits of including fruit in their daily diet.

Kevin Gatens, senior operations manager, said: “At EDF Energy we are committed to promoting a healthy lifestyle for our employees. Fruity Friday is an excellent way to encourage more people to lead a healthier lifestyle by including plenty of fruit in their diet. We will have lots going on throughout the day to get staff feeling fruity.”

During the day employees will be invited to try different fruits and fruit smoothies and will also take part in a team competition to win a huge fruit basket. To promote the event people in giant fruit costumes will go around handing out info packs to staff which will include fruit facts and recipes.

Lucie Galice, general manager at WCRF said: “Research shows that up to 40 per cent of cancers could be prevented by making simple lifestyle choices such as eating a diet rich in plant based food, exercising and maintaining a healthy weight. Overweight and obesity are strongly linked to cancer and everyone should be encouraged to make changes for the sake of their long term health.”

EDF Energy has previously been named Durham and Wearside Employer of the Year, and is committed to developing the best conditions and working environment for its staff. Fruity Friday is the highlight of WCRF’s national Cancer Prevention Week which aims to educate people about the importance of a healthy diet and lifestyle.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .