Thousands of children across Lancashire are set to benefit from planting and harvesting their produce – making good food a mainstay in schools.

 In Food for Life’s first year of activity in Lancashire, 49 schools and nine nurseries have committed to embedding a good food culture.

Commissioned by Lancashire County Council, the Soil Association programme makes Britain healthier through food, and has provided one-to-one support and guidance, ensuring a whole school approach to food is taken.

Pupils use their produce to cook meals in the classroom and visit local farms to see where the food comes from, with 14,000 young people taking part.

County Councillor Michael Green, Lancashire County Council's cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: "Lancashire County Council have committed to ensuring children have the best start in life and this is one of the three priorities of the Lancashire Health and Wellbeing Board.

“Commissioning Food For Life will support this priority, encouraging children to learn about food and where it comes from, and promoting access to good nutrition from a young age.

“We believe this is vital to children's development, health and wellbeing and importantly builds the foundations for their future."

Cottam Primary School in Preston has been working on its food leadership, speaking to pupils to find out what they think about their lunchtime experience.

Now, they play calming music during lunchtime and have assigned lunch monitor duties to pupils from each year group.

They have also been engaging parents and recently sent pupils home with a ‘grow your own herb’ kit to enjoy at home with their families and are planning to launch a school farmer’s market.

Children at Wolverden Primary School, Nelson won the bronze awardChildren at Walverden Primary School, Nelson, won the bronze award (Image: Food for Life)

Nicola Ward, Year 1 teacher at Cottam Primary School, said: “We have only just begun our Food for Life journey but feel like we have achieved so much already!

“One of our most successful achievements so far is our ‘Get Your Grownups Growing’ activity which provided every family within our school a coriander growing kit along with a recipe idea.” 

Greenlands Community Primary School have started a gardening club since working with Food for Life, planting a range of vegetables and even some blackberries.

In future, they’ll be transforming some of their school fields into an allotment so even more pupils can get involved.

Ingol Community Primary School, which holds a Food for Life Foundation Award, has even been recognised by Jamie Oliver’s Good School Food Awards for its work in the community to provide good food to both pupils and families at the school.