Free lunches get schools off to a healthy start
Local Food Links, Dorset’s local school meal provider, are launching a ‘LUNCH IS ON US’ give-away for children starting school for the first time this September. The promotion, in 25 of the county’s primary schools, aims to develop the school meal habit by offering free school lunches for a child’s first full week at school.
Parents will be invited to order a week’s free school meals so their child can sample a freshly prepared, tasty and healthy hot school dinner. Caroline Morgan, Local Food Links chief executive said:
“We want to prove to parents that school meals are not about turkey twizzlers and lumpy custard any more – but tasty, nutritious food that they can’t help but love.
Growing young children need good food at lunch-time to concentrate better in the afternoon and have the energy to play after school. So, we’re doing our bit towards developing healthy eating habits when they first start school.”
Parents of children coming into a reception class from September will receive a letter from the school telling them how they can order their free week’s meals. After the free week trial, parents can continue to receive school meals by ordering through the school or online.
“We’re confident that children will love what we do so we’re prepared to provide the first week’s meals absolutely free of charge. We want as many parents as possible to take up our free offer – we’re sure that once children have tried our meals, they’ll want to come back for more.”
Local Food Links are linking ‘LUNCH IS ON US’ with the launch of their new Facebook page, www.facebook.com/localfoodlinks, which will post recipes, respond to parent’s questions and host competitions and give-aways throughout the year.