BRIGHTON & Hove’s Green administration is to provide a free school meal for all primary school children during National School Meals Week.
The initiative in the week beginning 4th November, celebrates the healthy school lunches, and seeks to improve the take-up of schoolchildren eating in school canteens.
In opposition Green councillors campaigned for better standards for school meals, meaning the council signed up to the Soil Association’s Food for Life Partnership and reached Bronze accreditation. Under the Green administration, the council is working towards Silver level.
Councillor Lizzie Deane, deputy leader of Brighton & Hove City Council, said:
“Healthy school meals are essential to improving nutrition, behaviour and results in schools. We use Red Tractor meats, MSC fish, fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, and local free range eggs, and we are working towards even more sustainable and healthy food.
“We hope that making school meals widely available and making sure that meals appeal to children, will remove the stigma of free school meals and boost take-up amongst those who are entitled to them.
“We continue to campaign for the government to make free healthy school meals available to all.”