NSMW Hotline 01603 765682.

The main focus of the Week is to offer you support in driving up school meal numbers in Primary Schools as well as in promoting the importance of healthy eating to young children.

Primary Sector
Theme of week is “Eat Well for a Healthy Future”.

Amongst an excellent line up of promotional materials, an “Eat Well for a Healthy Future” Activity Sheet is available which highlights the benefits of a balanced diet and the positive effects of healthy food on children’s minds and bodies. The Activity Sheet contains a fun, competition element with MP3/4 Players as the main prize. There is also a collection of smaller prizes and promotional items in the supporting NSMW 2007 Catalogue.

Secondary Sector

In addition, LACA will, with support from the School Food Trust, be embarking on a high profile national advertising campaign aimed at Secondary Students this Autumn. The advertising will be targeted specifically at 11–14 year olds with the aim of enticing them back to new school meals and reversing the downward decline in meal numbers many of us have been experiencing this year. The advertising will break in the teenage media in mid-October, also to coincide with the timing of NSMW 2007. Further news of this campaign will be made available later this month.

LACA is working hard to provide Members with as much promotional support as possible during the challenging time ahead as we strive to implement all of the new Government Regulations coming into force.

For Primary Sector National School Meals Week information, please contact Chris Jennings at the Design Partnership to register your participation. Telephone: 01603 765682 or email: info@design-partnership.co.uk

About National School Meals Week

As an annual event, National School Meals Week seeks to create a positive link between the classroom and the food service area and to facilitate a whole school approach to the promotion of a healthy lifestyle which combines a balanced diet with increased physical activity. The week is an excellent promotional vehicle to encourage greater school meal uptake and to demonstrate the high professional standards employed in education catering.

Its principle aims are:

• To provide school meal providers and schools with a high profile and adaptable themed week with maximum appeal to youngsters across all age groups (4-16 years).
• To ensure that the themed week links to curriculum subjects.
  To create a themed week which facilitates a whole school approach to the promotion of healthy eating as part of an active lifestyle.
• To demonstrate to teachers and parents the high level of commitment amongst education caterers in encouraging children to adopt healthier eating habits.
• To increase awareness that school meals today offer a wide range of healthy food choices which can contribute to a healthier diet for children.
• To demonstrate that through proactive nutritional education and postitive food promotions such as National School Meals Week, children can be influenced to make informed choices at meal times.

Amidst growing concerns over rising childhood obesity and the increased risk to health in adult life of a poor diet in childhood, National School Meals Week is as important a promotional platform for the role of school meals now as it ever was ten years ago. Perhaps even more so.