School Food Trust welcomes plans to extend free school dinners

10 December 2009
School Food Trust welcomes plans to extend free school dinners

Education health body the School Food Trust has welcomed the plans to extend eligibility among children for free school meals, announced in yesterday's Pre-Budget Report.

The plans will mean that there is at least one universal free school meals pilot in each English region, and that the general qualifying criteria for working families will be amended.

Judy Hargadon, the trust's chief executive, said: "Free school meals ensure that thousands of children receive a nutritious hot meal every day, and we strongly support any move to increase the number of families who can benefit. We're working very closely with the Government's existing pilots and we are delighted to hear that this work will be extended so that all English regions have at least one pilot.

"We know that what children eat within school makes a real difference to their health, well being and ultimately performance and we hope as many families as possible will take up this opportunity.

"Alongside this, the challenge for us all is to continue making more families aware of their entitlement to free school meals so that they can start claiming what's theirs as quickly as possible."

Eden Foodservice picks up £12m school meals contract >>
Scotland will struggle with free school meals commitment >>

Cucina wins three school meals contracts worth total of £5m >>
By Rosie Birkett

E-mail your comments to Caterer News here.

If you have something to say on this story or anything else join the debate at Table Talk - Caterer's new networking forum. Go to www.caterersearch.com/tabletalk

Caterersearch.com jobs
Looking for a new job? Find your next job here with Caterersearch.com jobs

Blogs on Caterersearch.com](http://www.caterersearch.com/blogs) Catch up with more news and gossip on all Caterer's blogs
[Newsletters For the latest hospitality news, sign up for our e-mail newsletters.
The Caterer Breakfast Briefing Email

Start the working day with The Caterer’s free breakfast briefing email

Sign Up and manage your preferences below

Check mark icon
Thank you

You have successfully signed up for the Caterer Breakfast Briefing Email and will hear from us soon!

Jacobs Media is honoured to be the recipient of the 2020 Queen's Award for Enterprise.

The highest official awards for UK businesses since being established by royal warrant in 1965. Read more.

close

Ad Blocker detected

We have noticed you are using an adblocker and – although we support freedom of choice – we would like to ask you to enable ads on our site. They are an important revenue source which supports free access of our website's content, especially during the COVID-19 crisis.

trade tracker pixel tracking