Winger Dan James recently dropped by a Healthy Holidays half-term session, helping to promote the importance of a balanced diet to local primary school students.

Delivered by the Leeds United Foundation in partnership with Arla, the Wales international attended the exciting afternoon session at Beeston Primary School, where he got involved in workshops, helped to plant seeds and spoke with the children about what healthy foods he enjoys the most.

“I think they have been great today,” the forward told LUTV. “It has been really good coming down and educating them, and I have learned a few things myself!

“We have planted some pea shoots and we have also planted some cress today. The children are going to take them home and they are going to let them grow. It was a nice exercise today for them and it is something that they can take home to their families.

“Children are running around a lot. They need good foods, to have energy. It is really important. We promote exercise a lot but healthy eating also comes with that as well. Hopefully, they have all enjoyed it today because I certainly have.”

The Healthy Holidays programme supports children during the half-term holidays, and is delivered in deprived areas of the city, helping youngsters with their health and wellbeing through education on healthy living and exercise. The programme content is varied and aims to help children become responsible and confident in being active and eating healthily.

The sessions also provide children the opportunity to experience, learn and enjoy making choices which will have a positive impact on their futures.

Rachel Newman, Healthy Families Lead at the Leeds United Foundation, added: “We have been teaching the kids about where their food comes from and healthy choices when they are eating the foods. We had a giant eat well plate with lots of plastic foods, and the children chose one piece of food each and put them into each category.

“It is so important that we can have these camps that are running, and then especially having Dan coming down. A lot of the children go to this school so for a player to be at their school, helping them in their activities, it is just absolutely amazing. They were so excited.”

More information about the Healthy Families programme, can be found HERE.