More kids to benefit from free school meals

5th February 2010, 10:16am

More primary school children across the country will benefit from a free healthy school lunch as Ed Balls today invited all local authorities to bid for cash to fund more universal free school meal pilots.

Free school meal pilots are already running in three local authorities - Durham and Newham and Wolverhampton. Durham and Newham are trialling universal free school meals for all primary age children and Wolverhampton are trialling extended eligibility. 

Although the pilots only started in September 2009 there has already been some very positive feedback. Adding new pilots from September 2010 will help even more families across the country and allow the government to collect more evidence on the health and educational benefits of free school meals.

Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls said: "We know good health is vital if children are going to enjoy their childhood and achieve their full potential. Eating a nutritious meal at lunchtime from a young age can make eating well a healthy habit for life.

"Our commitment to invest a further £35 million in these additional universal free school meals pilots will mean thousands of children and their parents will feel the benefit from September."

Chair of the School Food Trust, Rob Rees MBE, added: "Nutritious, tasty school lunches have an important part to play in improving children's health, wellbeing, performance and in tackling poverty - issues at the heart of the agenda for so many local authorities. We very much look forward to working with the new pilots as they roll out."


Related Articles:

Words Maria Bracken 0 comments

Have your say!

To comment on this article, simply enter your name and email and send us your views. Please note that your comment will appear publicly below this article once it has been processed. For enquiries please email info@costsectorcatering.co.uk.

Name



Email



Leave blank

Comment (max 800 characters)



Latest News

Top chef Phil Vickery dishes up Bramley apple recipes for kids

Top chef Phil Vickery has created a sele… More…

30th July 2010, 8:11am

Brakes launches 'Studiously British' menu competition for British Food Fortnight

Brakes has launched a competition for fu… More…

29th July 2010, 3:28pm

Nestlé Professional tees off for charity

Nestlé Professional has again put its su… More…

29th July 2010, 12:00pm

Top chef Delia Smith backs The Norfolk Food Festival

Celebrity chef Delia Smith has added her… More…

29th July 2010, 11:04am

Click here to subscribe to the Cost Sector RSS Feed

RSS Feed Subscribe

In this current issue…
In this current issue…

July 2010

  • Cover Story: How Lambeth College is lending a helping hand to catering students with disabilities
  • Craft Guild of Chefs Awards 2010: Cost Sector chefs figure prominently among this year’s winners.
  • Corporate Social Responsibility:More women in the hospitality industry now aiming for top posts.
  • LACA Conference 2010 - Delegates to gather in Birmingham

View The Archive

Flora ButtonBarry Callebaut SkyscraperNCOTY SKYSCRAPERFoodservice Update skyscraperSUBSCRIBE NOW