Are you a professional in Surrey, working with children and teenagers?  

Be Your Best is Surrey’s fully funded healthy lifestyle programme for families with children aged 5-17 years:

  • who are above the healthy weight range
  • on or above the 91st centile for BMI 

It has been designed in collaboration with the University of Surrey, Surrey County Council Public Health, and Surrey County Council Family Learning, and focuses on behaviour change, enabling families to sustain a healthy lifestyle in the long-term.    

Be Your Best has an impressive success rate, and since 2020 has helped hundreds of children to manage their weight, and become the best version of themselves. 

7/10 children completing Be Your Best* continue to have a reduced BMI after 12 months. The feedback from families is overwhelmingly positive: 

“Thank you for having such a positive impact on J’s wellbeing.” Mum, Surrey.

"The most important thing (i've learnt) is the portion sizes" Young Person, Surrey

"It makes you really energetic, and it's fun" Young Person, Surrey

What is Be Your Best?

Download our flyer to discover the benefits of the fully funded and local Be Your Best programme, which include:

  • One-to-one healthy lifestyle support with a health & wellbeing advisor

  • Smart goals tailored to each family  

  • Online peer-to peer group sessions for parents / carers 

  • Access to funded community offers from a live cooking session to leisure classes 

Be Your Best is an ongoing programme that takes place throughout the year, so a family can start when the time is right for them. 

 

Who is Be Your Best for in Surrey?

Families are eligible if:

  • They have a child aged 5-17 years ✅
  • Who is on or above the 91st centile for BMI ✅
  • Who lives, goes to a school or is registered with a GP in Surrey ✅

Priority is given to: 

  • Families living in the 21 key neighbourhoods 
  • Children with a special educational need or disability
  • Children with a long-term condition
  • Children who are receiving Early Help, Targeted Help or Specialist support in Surrey
  • Children of families on low income (low income is classed as living on less than 60% of median net disposable income in UK)
  • Families who are not from the priority groups may receive a universal (digital) offer, rather than access to the full targeted programme. 

Please note - despite meeting the above criteria, the following families may be excluded from the programme: 

  • Children with an underlying medical cause for obesity who would benefit from more intensive clinical management 
  • Children with more complex needs will be considered on a case-by-case basis

 

Be Your Best is tailored to each age group

For children aged 5–11 (in primary school), the 12-week Be Your Best Juniors programme includes: 

  • Six one-to-one sessions with a health & wellbeing advisor at the family home  

  • Five online group sessions facilitated by the dietetics department at the University of Surrey, offering peer to peer support for parents. 4pm – 5:30pm, Tuesdays & Thursdays. 

  • Online live cooking workshop 

  • Family FIT online every Wednesday, 4.30pm -5pm 

  • 6 and 12 month follow ups with the health & wellbeing advisor 

For children aged 11-17 (in secondary school and beyond), the 12-week Be Your Best Teens programme includes: 

  • Six one-to-one sessions with a health & wellbeing advisor at the family home or in school 

  • Four online group sessions offering peer to peer support for parents, Mondays & Tuesdays 5-6pm. 

  • Online live cooking workshop  

  • On-demand physical activity content for teens to follow at home 

  • 6 and 12 month follow ups with the health & wellbeing advisor 

"Another mum stopped me on the school run and said how much happier my son was looking, she noticed he was walking with his head up, when before he always walked with his head down." Mum 

 

Worried about starting conversations about weight?

Register to attend free  ‘raising the issue of weight training’.

 

Ready to refer a family?

Making a referral is easy.

Step one: We recommend you watch this short video before speaking to any family about the programme.

Step two: You then fill in this simple form or a family can refer themselves.

Step three: Then we take care of the rest! 

  • We will follow up with the family
  • Confirm their eligibility 
  • Then allocate them with a health & wellbeing advisor who will support them through the programme

“We have such a laugh doing the Family Fit sessions together, please can we carry on attending even though the group sessions have finished? … it gets my daughter moving in a fun way without her really realising.” Mum 

 

Any remaining questions?

Whether you’re a School Nurse, GP, Paediatrician, Health Visitor, Family Support Worker, Social Worker or Home School Link Worker - contact beyourbest@surreycc.gov.uk and we'll aim to answer all your questions.

If helpful, you can invite us to your team meeting. Where a member of the BYB team can present an overview of the programme - either virtually or in person. 

We will look forward to hearing from you. Let's work together to enable more children and teens in Surrey to 'Be Your Best'.

*Be Your Best 0-12, 2020-2024