‘Big Bean Boost’ schools programme to launch in November
As part of the three year initiative, which has been funded by The National Lottery Community Fund, Veg Power will be running a new schools’ programme ‘The Big Bean Boost’ to get children eating more beans.
'The Big Bean Boost’ will be fully-funded in 750 primary schools with an emphasis on lower income communities. Schools will receive ongoing support, activities and resources to maintain a focus on beans throughout the entire school year.
Dan Parker, chief executive at Veg Power, said: “We’re dedicated to making healthy, sustainable eating easier so we can’t wait to get started on this campaign to get the UK eating more beans. Not only will beans support an improvement in dietary health but they are also good for our planet and stretched budgets.
“We’ll be contributing our expertise to run the social media and influencer campaign, developing fresh and exciting creative ideas and running a schools’ programme in 750 UK schools to get children eating more beans.”
The 750 National Lottery-funded schools will receive stickers to recognise and acknowledge children’s participation, decoration packs for the lunch area to bring the programme to life in schools and reward charts to encourage the bean-eating habits to continue at home.
Mel Eaglesfield, The National Lottery Community Fund’s funding strategy, innovation and UK director, said: “There are real benefits to eating more beans for our health and the environment, as well as our pockets.
“With food prices going up, there’s even more of an incentive to add more beans to the dishes we make. This is why projects like this are so important, as they provide communities with the tools and information they need to make informed choices, both for themselves and for the environment.
“The National Lottery Community Fund supports communities across the UK to become more environmentally sustainable, so we’re delighted to fund this initiative through our Climate Action Fund. It’s a perfect example of an ambitious partnership project that links climate action with everyday life, benefitting people and the planet.”