A talented eight-year-old South Croydon pupil hit the right note to win the first Croydon Heart Town competition for children to compose a song to help residents keep fit and healthy.
Megan Henderson, of Atwood Primary School, in Limpsfield Road, beat more than 300 entrants for the National Heart Month competition, to be in with a chance to get their song professionally recorded at Scream Studios in Croydon.
Megan’s lyrics about the benefits of swimming for exercise have now been arranged to an upbeat soundtrack. The pupils of Class 3D of Fairchildes Primary School, in New Addington, were also on track with their lyrics to win the jingle category with the Healthy Eating Rag.
Croydon Radio has aired Megan’s winning tune during Ally McKinlay’s show, and the song and jingle are now available to download from here.
The words to the swimming song were entirely appropriate for the council’s Heart Town initiative with the British Heart Foundation, which aims to tackle heart disease among residents, as it includes the lines:
“You’ve got to love swimming or you’d be crazy, you’ve got to get some exercise don’t be lazy.
“When you’re in the swimming pool, just have some fun and keep it cool.”
The song will also be highlighted to the recently formed Health Commission for Swimming, a group set up to investigate the links between swimming and health, and to demonstrate just how good swimming is for you.
Feeling inspired by her winning song, Megan said: “I did really enjoy writing the song because I really love swimming. Next year I want to write a rap about how bad for you smoking is.”
All the song entries were judged by Julia Biel, recently nominated for a Mobo award in the best jazz act category; and songwriter Idris Rahman, of the band Soothsayers, who has also produced Mercury Prize and Mobo Award-nominated artists.
Councillor Louisa Woodley, cabinet member for families, health and social care
“Congratulations to Megan for composing a brilliant song encouraging residents to do a bit more exercise to look after their hearts.
“We can all reap the benefits from these lyrics and that’s why we’ll promote the song across the borough, and more widely.
“Raising awareness about the importance of being active and eating healthier food can be challenging, but these are important actions to help us to be healthier and avoid preventable diseases as we get older.
“It was great that we received so many creative entries for this song competition and this is a testament of the importance of this issue to children in Croydon.”
