Why Take Part?

Here are 10 great reasons for taking part

If you are undecided about taking part in National School Meals Week (NSMW) then these reasons might help you decide to "Get Involved" this year.

1. Last year was the biggest national school meals week ever with an estimated 17,000 schools taking part. This was made up of local authorities, foodservice contractors and individual schools in England and Wales.  It is the biggest promotion of healthy eating in the country. Getting your local authority or company involved will attract national publicity and you will have your local media wanting to know what is happening in their area.
2. Market research after the 2010 week showed that participants had an average sales increase of 6.3% and this follows on from the year before where the sales increase was 7.8%. The sales increase was maintained for another month despite the bad weather in 51% of participants. This means it is a great way to develop your own business.
3. NSMW helps increase awareness about what your local authority or company is doing to promote healthy eating in your area. This is particularly important with parents as they have to decide if they will give their children the money to have a school meal.
4. There are five different themes so you can take part in one or five days, the choice is yours. This enables you to make your week special for your area. You can follow our ideas or come up with your own. All we ask is that you tell us what you are doing so we can help promote your week via the media. Last year some authorities ran the whole week whilst others chose specific days.  Choose whatever will work best for you and your schools.
5. The themes can work in both Primary and Secondary Schools. This gives you greater flexibility and enables you to dip in and dip out of the week as you wish.
6. We all know that where there are supportive heads we find a successful school meals service. All the ideas and themes of this year's NSMW will work as part of a whole school approach.
7. Advertising is taking place in the Times Educational Supplement magazine and is certain to attract more teachers that want to take part.
8. Thanks to LACA and the LACA Partners it is free to take part in. Can there be a better benefit than that? 
9. Make sure you download the "How to organise NSMW guide" and the planning tool. The guide is full of ideas and the planning tool will help you delegate the necessary actions to your team.
10. Network with other people in the school catering industry via Facebook, twitter and LinkedIn.

All LACA asks in return is you let us know what you are doing so that it can be publicised to the media via www.iloveschoolmeals.co.uk.