Did you know a child dies in the UK every month from choking? Pillory Barn was honoured to support Kent Community Safety Partnership in launching the EatSafe campaign, aimed at promoting safe eating practices and reducing choking risks in early-year settings.

This is a powerful campaign that was developed following the tragic death of Oliver Steeper in September 2021 who was 9 months old when he choked whilst being fed at nursery. His parents, who became key advocates for the campaign, worked closely with us throughout the development process to ensure the message was not only impactful but also sensitive.

We worked closely with Kent Safeguarding Children’s team to ensure that the language and tone used in the campaign resonated with early-year practitioners and caregivers. The message needed to be clear, compassionate, and informative, empowering professionals to understand the importance of safe eating practices without causing alarm.

Pillory Barn created the campaign name, design collateral, social media content, and messaging along with the brand and campaign identity to create a meaningful campaign. 

Our services extended to brand identification, campaign toolkit, and video production. The result was a toolkit for the partnerships agency to share and raise awareness of food safety in younger year settings. The toolkit included social media graphics, leaflets, posters, and crib sheets to be distributed to settings across Kent.

The video created for the campaign was a testimonial video from Ollie’s parents to raise to importance of safe eating in young children including the impact on their lives since losing their son.

In addition to the toolkit, we crafted 24 social media posts to amplify the campaign’s reach. These posts were designed to engage a broad audience and extend the campaign’s impact across social media platforms. By using these digital tools, we were able to help extend the message to early-year practitioners and families across Kent and help to spread this information on food safety and choking prevention.

What has the impact been?

In just four weeks, the Oli’s Legacy video garnered 219 views, while the EatSafe recorded webinar was completed 226 times, demonstrating strong engagement and interest in the campaign’s vital message.

Feedback collected from a variety of early-year settings has been overwhelmingly positive, with several key outcomes:

• Staff Training: The resources from the EatSafe campaign have played a key role in training nursery staff, equipping them with the knowledge to enhance safety practices and manage eating risks more effectively.
• Improved Risk Assessments: Many settings reported improvements in their risk assessment processes, particularly for children who require additional care or attention during mealtimes.
• Revised Food Presentation: Academies have also begun reassessing how they present food to children, with a focus on reducing choking hazards and ensuring meals are safe for all age groups.

 

The EatSafe campaign is helping to foster a culture of safety and vigilance that spans the entire educational journey, ensuring children in early-year settings and of all ages benefit from safer eating practices.

Through this collaboration, Pillory Barn is proud to have contributed to a cause that will continue to save lives and prevent tragedy in the future.