Healthy food at lunchtime is a life skill worth learning

Date: 30/7/2010

Well that was the LACA conference that was and it was great to see so many familiar faces. I thoroughly enjoyed the conference and my congratulations to all the LACA Award winners. I was helping Karen and Nicola on the NSMW stand and the Guide to organising NSMW was a great success, hundreds were given out. If you could not get to the conference then you can download a copy once you have registered for the week. Another reason for registering is that Mars Foodservice are giving away £2 off vouchers for their Dolmio pasta sauce.

LACA is writing to MPs and asking them to support the week. You will find a copy of the letter below and this will be with them now. You may receive a letter from a local MP offering to visit one of your schools or you could get in early and invite them. It is up to you.

This is what has been sent:

Healthy food at lunchtime is a life skill worth learning

I am writing as Chair of the Local Authority Caterers Association (LACA) to congratulate you on your recent success at the general election and to introduce you to LACA (www.laca.co.uk).

A healthy school meal at lunchtime has the potential to save very many millions from the NHS budget. We must all work together over future years to: encourage young people and children to make healthier, balanced food choices; help improve diets and decrease obesity levels; and also help to combat poverty and malnutrition that is suffered by many children in this country.

Recent news concerning the cancelling of the increased free school meal eligibility and the potential loss of the School Lunch Grant will force many Local Authorities to reconsider the level of service they can provide. I believe the school meals service, as a whole, may well be at risk.

The previous government underestimated the journey needed to convince young people to change their eating habits following the introduction of the new Nutritional Standards. Five years of hard work and commitment in implementing the Standards have passed and no one wants to see this work undone. With Nutrient Standards requiring computer software and analysis and with greater use of fresh ingredients, purchasing and operational costs have grown considerably.

I am sure you can see in your own constituency the tremendous work that is carried out in schools, on a daily basis. May I ask and encourage you to visit a local school of your choice and participate in National School Meals Week which runs from Monday 8th November to Friday 12th November 2010. There is more about it at www.iloveschoolmeals.co.uk.

Please do not hesitate to contact myself or our Business Manager, Vicki Young on 07810 307182, should you have any questions about the above events or indeed other work that LACA is carrying out nationally.

I hope that we can count on your support to ensure that future generations do not miss out on the fundamental right to have access to a nutritious school meal during their school day.

Yours sincerely

Beverley Baker
National Chair, LACA Ltd