Warwickshire News Mine

Warwickshire County Councillor Martin Heatley, Portfolio Holder for Resources will be visiting Newdigate Primary School on Friday to find out more about the work of the County Caterers and the school’s participation in the national Food for Life initiative.

Food for Life aims to get more fresh British produce on school lunch menus, reconnect young people with farms and teach them to appreciate where their food comes from. Schools which sign up to join the scheme are encouraged to work toward bronze, silver and gold awards.

Newdigate is participating in the scheme with support from the county council cooks and has already begun to incorporate these values. Every day Cook Supervisor Tracy Marshall bakes fresh bread and provides lunches for nursery children and pupils at the school using local ingredients wherever possible.

The involvement of pupils with Food for Life goes beyond the dining hall and the programme shows them how to grow, cook, and eat, fresh, seasonal, local and organic food, and to visit farms where their food is produced.  Children are gaining the knowledge and practical skills for life about how to take control of how they eat and its impact on their health.

Lindsay Higgins, Development Manager for Warwickshire County Caterers said: “It’s very early days for Warwickshire’s involvement in Food for Life but we already have 25 schools on board, which is really exciting.  We are looking forward to supporting the schools to change eating habits but know that this won’t happen over night. County Caterers have already received recognition for good practice with our Good Egg award and we plan to build on such successes over the coming months.”

Councillor Heatley said: “I have an agricultural background myself so this initiative is close to my heart.  The county caterers do an excellent job providing wholesome, healthy and interesting meals for Warwickshire’s young people and this is a great foundation for the scheme.

“As we rely more and more on convenience foods it is essential for children to know about the origins of what they eat. The scheme will teach many important lessons about climate and animal welfare as well as diet and nutrition and I will look forward to finding out more about how the participating schools progress.”

Newdigate Primary School is one of three flagship schools chosen by Food for Life to lead the programme in the county. The initiative is funded nationally by the Big Lottery and led by the Soil Association in partnership with Garden Organic,The Focus on Food Campaign and the Health Education Trust with the aim to transform food culture.

For more information about Food for Life please visit http://www.foodforlife.org.uk or the Warwickshire County Council school meals website http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/schoolmeals

Link to WCC