VIEWPOINT
Two decades after Jamie’s School Dinners I’m still campaigning, says Jamie Oliver
What our kids eat every day determines whether they survive or thrive. With so much on offer, it should be easier to feed our children nutritious food: instead it’s getting harder and harder. Often people talk about personal responsibility and blame parents, but that’s so unfair, because it’s only a tiny part of a much bigger picture.
I’ve been passionate about child health for the past 20 years, and I refuse to give up the hope that, as a nation, we can prioritise it, helping parents, and enabling kids to be the best possible versions of themselves.
Making Jamie’s School Dinners back in 2005 I learnt first-hand the positive impact school food can have on children – and just how emotive it is for everyone! I think now is the perfect time to celebrate all the great things that are happening in schools up and down the country.
Our schools are a huge influence when it comes to educating children about food and the efect it has on our bodies. And science shows it’s just as important to nourish the body as it is the mind. Academics, teachers and doctors all agree a good school lunch means children concentrate in lessons, achieve better grades and go on to find higher-paid jobs, resulting in happier, healthier young people.
And I know that so much good work is happening in the school food system. Which is why I launched the Good School Food Awards. Not only to celebrate the individuals and teams going above and beyond to ensure our kids enjoy good food, but also to shine a light on what “good” looks like and offer support to schools that want to improve their ofering.
When we launched the awards last year we had an incredible response, which resulted in eight winners who are more than deserving of their awards. We found people like Chef Steve Banham at Silver Springs Primary Academy in Stalybridge, who won the Rising Star Award, working miracles in really tough circumstances. Robin Anthony and Louise Carter at Prospect House Specialist Support Primary School, who won the Sustainability Star, have created such an innovative system in their school that they’ve now set up a network of schools in Manchester, helping them become more sustainable.
Food tech teacher Jackie Dean’s passion and drive are making all the diference at Carshalton Boys Sports College, teaching the next generatio
