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September
2004
Football incentive kicks off drive to encourage children
to eat healthily
Children who 'eat their greens' are being given an added
incentive to choose a healthy school meal - they are being rewarded
with the chance to win tickets to see Nottingham Forest and
share breakfast with the football club's players.
Thousands of Nottinghamshire children are now eating locally-grown
fruit and vegetables after the county council's Early Bytes
catering service teamed up with award-winning Nottinghamshire
food distribution firm Farmshop Home Delivery in a pilot project
to use more food from the region in school meals.
As British Food Fortnight gets under way tomorrow (Saturday
18th September), it has been announced that 40 schools in the
county are dishing up fruit and vegetables supplied by regional
farmers via the service that delivers locally-grown and produced
food and drink to households in Notts.
And as an added incentive to educate children and encourage
them to eat more healthily, Farmshop Home Delivery has arranged
for children at participating schools to be in with the chance
to win free tickets to see Nottingham Forest and to share a
healthy breakfast with the football club's stars in a special
promotion being run during British Food Fortnight.
"Educating children about where their food comes from and
how it is produced is very important," said Farmshop Home
Delivery Managing Director David Rose. "We hope that by
providing an incentive scheme we will encourage more children
to try some of the delicious fruit and vegetables that are grown
locally."
Nottingham Forest have donated 200 tickets, which will be shared
between the schools. During British Food Fortnight, children
who choose fruit and veg will be given a sticker for a passport,
and at the end of the fortnight the passport will be entered
into a draw for Forest tickets and the chance to have breakfast
with the club's players.
One hundred children will get to enjoy the special breakfast
treat in November, with each also receiving a ticket for themselves
and one adult to attend the match against Queens Park Rangers
on Saturday December 4th.
"It is a pleasure for Forest to be involved in a local
healthy eating initiative," said Forest Captain David Johnson.
"Having children myself, I know it is vitally important
to educate them to maintain a healthy varied diet from an early
age."
Helen Fifoot, team manager for school catering at the county
council, said the authority had launched the pilot project to
buy fruit and vegetables through Farmshop Home Delivery after
listening to requests from parents.
"Parents and head teachers are telling us that they would
like their children to eat food that has been grown locally
and comes from farms they can trust," she said. "We
are delighted to be buying fruit and vegetables for 40 schools
from Farmshop Home Delivery, and after this pilot scheme we
may extend the number of schools who use the service in the
future.
"This is all part of the process of educating children
to eat more healthily and of providing healthier school meals."
The county council's Early Bytes catering service provides 30,000
meals a day in 330 primary schools, as well as meals in 30 of
Nottinghamshire's secondary schools. Those receiving fruit and
vegetables via Farmshop Home Delivery include Archbishop Cranmer
Church of England School, Aslockton, Burton Joyce Primary School,
Trowell Church of England Primary School, Tuxford Comprehensive
School, Southwell Minster School, and Farnsfield St Michael's
Primary School.
Kevin McKay, Group Catering and Cleaning Manager at the county
council, said: "Nottinghamshire School Catering is delighted
to support British Food Fortnight as our part in the government
strategy to promote health and well being in schools. This is
an ongoing programme for School Catering to support schools
in encouraging pupils to think about what they choose to eat
and educating them in food issues and promoting healthier lifestyles."
Farmshop Home Delivery was launched by UK Countrylife Ltd four
years ago as a farm diversification business by third-generation
farmer David Rose. It is based at Shackerdale Farm, Car Colston,
near Bingham, and also has a sister business that produces prepared
meals made using regional ingredients, Farmshop Specials.
The business is the 2003 NFU Countryside Small Business of the
Year, and was short-listed in last year's BBC Radio 4 food and
farming awards. David was last year also named Progressive Farmer
of the Year by Farm Business magazine.
The firm aims to help farmers reconnect with consumers, promote
local and regional food, and encourage responsible farming practices.
The fruit and vegetables supplied to Nottinghamshire schools
have been grown mainly in the county and its neighbouring regions.
Items not produced locally are sourced from local markets.
This year's British Food Fortnight, which runs from September
18th to October 3rd, is putting the emphasis on learning about
British food.
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