The UK’s new coalition government said it will withdraw funding from its public health campaign, Change4Life.

In his first speech on public health, Health Secretary Andrew Lansley told attendees at the UK Faculty of Public Health’s annual conference today (7 July) that the campaign should now be supported by businesses rather than the Government.

“I have been impressed how much [Change4Life] has achieved to date…particularly the way it has brought so many people together – healthcare professionals, teachers, charities, businesses, and the thousands of volunteers who have added their support,” Lansley said.

However, he added: “We need a new approach. We have to make Change4life less a government campaign, more a social movement. Less paid for by government, more backed by business. Less about costly advertising, more about supporting family and individual responses.”

Lansley said a change of Government means a change of approach and therefore, it will “progressively” scale back the amount of taxpayers’ money spent on Change4Life.

The Health Secretary said it will ask others, including charities, the commercial sector and local authorities, to fill the gap.

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“While government pump-primed the brand, we will now withdraw the primer and
engage others to share in making Change4Life really work – and we will focus on extending its reach and effectiveness, especially in social media,” Lansley said.