LACA/ParentPay market research results to be announced on 7th November

LACA (Local Authority Caterers Association) is currently undertaking market research with one of its key supplier partner's ParentPay as part of this year's National School Meals Week (NSMW). NSMW is organised annually by LACA and is taking place from 7th to 11th November 2011. It is one of the biggest healthy eating campaigns and promotes the nutritional benefits of having a school meal at lunchtime. More information about the week can be found at www.iloveschoolmeals.co.uk.

ParentPay provides a range of online payment solutions for schools including the ability to pay for school meals, school trips and uniforms. LACA is the leading professional body representing the interests of over 1200 school caterers, foodservice contractors and suppliers.

The LACA/ParentPay research will cover parents in England and Wales with children at both Primary and Secondary School including those parents who pay online, and those that are entitled to a free school meal. The results will be analysed independently by AVF Marketing as they have extensive experience of undertaking research projects of this nature. AVF marketing is also organising National School Meals Week for LACA. The results will show the national results and include the breakdown of figures into TV regions.

The survey already has over eight thousand responses already. This makes it one of the biggest surveys of its type and centres on parents' attitudes to school meals and healthy eating. The questions include: how often do you have chips; how happy are you with the quality of school meals; what information parents want about school meals and how they want to receive it; how many parents want their child to learn to cook at school; how many portions of fruit and vegetables their child had yesterday; how many parents are concerned about the weight of their child; and why those entitled to a free school meal are not taking up their entitlement. The results will be published on 7th November at the start of National School Meals Week.

Lynda Mitchell, the new Chair of LACA, said, "This is a very important and significant piece of research and will provide useful and important information for school caterers and all those working to improve the health of young people. I am not aware of a piece of research targeted at parents that has had such a high level of participation. I believe the final number of responses will be about ten thousand".

Clint Wilson, Chief Executive Officer for ParentPay, added, "We are delighted to help LACA collect this information via our database of parents who use our system to pay for a variety of school activities such as school meals, uniforms and trips. I believe one can never know too much about your customers and that is why I believe the research is so important for all those that are concerned about the lifestyles of young people".

For more information about the research and to receive a copy of the results on 7th November or to receive an invitation to the launch of the results please contact the author of the report, Arnold Fewell, at arnold@avfmarketing.co.uk.

For information about LACA please contact Hazel Fancy, LACA Press Office, on 01932 253 1840 or 07950 007169.