West Ham United men’s first team nutritionist, Matt Jones, recently hosted a nutrition webinar with over 90 NHS staff members.
As part of the Hammers’ ongoing pledge of support for the Club’s local NHS trusts, Jones had an in-depth discussion about the complex world of nutrition with members of staff from the Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust.
The hour-long virtual seminar gave them an overview of the nature of his role at the Club, the importance of nutrition for elite sportsmen and women, and also provided advice to the frontline workers on how to maintain a healthy diet with their demanding schedules. Questions from key workers led to detailed discussions regarding Ramadan, the rules and standards we hold as a Club, matchday rituals, meal prep suggestions, veganism and intermittent fasting.
Jones said: “It was a real honour to have been asked to lead this session. I am passionate about the work that I do and I loved sharing this passion with the incredible NHS staff. The ongoing support for our local NHS Trusts is something that is extremely important to everyone at the Club and I’m more than happy to have played my part.
“There were some great questions that covered a whole range of topics, and I hope that my tips will help the staff to manage their long hours and tough schedules”
The nutrition seminar is the latest in a series of ongoing Club initiatives that have taken place over the last 15 months to support our local NHS Trusts. The Club committed to a range of positive new community initiatives which have helped the NHS to provide vital support for patients and staff. By the end of the 2021, a total of £28million will have been invested across local communities, with the purpose of motivating, inspiring, educating and responding to local need. So far, these programmes have created more than £1.4million of annual savings to the NHS delivered through diabetes prevention.
Ben Morrin, Deputy Chief Executive at Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “The nutrition webinar held for our staff was fantastic! Lots of our staff are avid West Ham fans and seeing the Club do so well this season has been the highlight of a very difficult year.
“We are very grateful for the support shown by the Club during our Thank You Week. The turnout was brilliant and the feedback excellent. So many members of our workforce are extremely busy and on their feet for most of the day, so it was great how Matt provided insight into how important it is to maintain a healthy and balanced diet.
“West Ham United is a really important partner for us. With the first team training ground right next to Queen’s Hospital in Romford, the club is a huge part of our community and we look forward to continuing working together into next season.”