The programme began in September 2015 in 10 school centres of Irún and Hondarribia, and ended last June 2016 with a large celebration in Ficoba, Irún.

The child/youth population does less and less exercise and the nutritional pattern is changing. There is an increase in the prevalence of excess weight and obesity. Schools are a great place to promote healthy habits because it is possible to reach the population of compulsory school age. As part of the European project “Pre-Start”, the programme “Bidasoatik Mundura, Sasoi Erronka” has been implemented in the school environment, in order to promote healthy lifestyles among students in the 1st and 2nd years of secondary school.

The implementation and development of this programme has been carried out through a local health network made up of different institutions and organisations, Gipuzkoa Public Health, Bidasoa IHO (Osakidetza), Berritzegune (Department of Education), Town Halls of Irún and Hondarribia and Kronikgune. 

The programme is addressed to over 1500 students from the 10 school centres of Bidasoa region (Erain, Hirubide BHI, Eguzkitza BHI, Txingudi BHI, Toki-Alai BHI, El Pilar, San Vicente, Irungo La Salle, Talaia and San José Hondarribia). Very positive data has been collected throughout the course, with the participation of 80 % of the students in the activities organised. During the school year, the participating students worked on the following aspects:

  • physical activity, by inviting students to participate in an “imaginary tour” around the world and to organise and do activities designed for each country.
  • healthy food, by completing a questionnaire each term.
  • creativity, through the development of a summary video with what happened every term at school.

All the activities were carried out entirely in Basque. It is the working language for the organisation and development of the programme. The aim is to promote its use among the participating students and teachers.

The website www.bidasoatikmundura.eus played a very important role in the programme, as a point of reference for the participants. This interactive, intuitive, attractive, fresh and up-to-date website also served as a catalysing tool and source of information.

Last June “Bidasoatik Mundura, sasoi erronka” concluded with a final celebration in the Ficoba convention centre in Irún. Over 850 students from the 10 centres attended the event, where the winning school, San Vicente de Paúl, and the schools that were most constant in the different areas during the 2015-2016 school year were proclaimed.

The local network has already begun work on a new edition of “Bidasoatik Mundura, Sasoi Erronka”. It is expected to start in September 2016 and involve all the schools of Irún and Hondarribia.

For more information about the programme, visit the website www.bidasoatikmundura.eus

For more information about the European Pre-Start project, click here.