Warwickshire News Mine

Sandra Russell, the county council’s Head of Catering, was elected to be the LACA’s National Chairman for the forthcoming year. Sandra, who was previously the Vice Chairman of the Association, was confirmed in her new role on 11 July 2007.

Sandra has been a member of LACA since 1990 and became Chairman of the West Midlands Region in 1996. She joined LACA’s National Executive Council as the West Midlands Regional Representative in the late 1990s and has sat on the council since then. Sandra’s new role will include promoting school meals nationally, which will entail leading discussions with the Government and the School Food Trust on the continuing changes to the delivery of school meals throughout the country.

In addition to being elected National Chairman, Sandra was also awarded the Association’s "Roger Davies Outstanding Achievement Award" in recognition of her dedicated service to local authority catering, the school meals service and LACA.

A colleague of Sandra’s, Liz Peat, an area manager within Warwickshire County Caterers, topped off an eventful conference by wining two awards in the association’s static display competition ‘Finishing Touches’. Liz’s decorated celebration cake was awarded ‘Gold - Best in Class’ and the cake was deemed so good that it also won ‘Best in Show’.

Phil Evans the Warwickshire County Council’s Head of Facilities Management commented: "It is always a tremendous pleasure when the dedication of Warwickshire County Council is recognised by outside bodies, particularly ones with LACA’s reputation and standing.  Sandra’s award and election as National Chairman is extremely well deserved and all her colleagues and I wish her every success in the coming year.

"I’d also like to extend my congratulations to Liz on her very well deserved award. I hope the awards which reflect the skill, pride and dedication of WCC staff like Sandra and Liz deliver an important message to the parents and carers of Warwickshire children about the quality of the council’s school meals service.”

-Ends

For further information please contact Rebecca Davidson in the Warwickshire County Council press office on 01926 414142.

Note to Editors:

LACA is the is the professional body representing 1,000 catering managers and suppliers who provide catering services to all sectors of Local Authorities in England, Wales and Scotland.

Local authority caterers are responsible for providing more than 2.5 million school meals a day, civic catering such as town halls and leisure centres, social services catering such as residential homes for the elderly, day centres and meals on wheels.

LACA is a major Government consultee on catering related issues and provides its members with information on key industry developments, Government legislation and policies affecting the local authority catering sector.

Link to WCC