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The Good School Food Awards celebrate the amazing catering teams, holiday programmes, campaigners and unsung heroes who, day in and day out, go the extra mile to make sure Britain’s schoolchildren are well nourished – the heroes that make school food brilliant.

A spokesperson commented: “These awards are important because school food matters and the health of our children matters. We know that delivering delicious, nutritious school meals isn’t easy, because often there isn’t the right support or funding, yet there are still amazing people making a real difference to kids all across the UK.

“With a workforce of 80,000+ people, the school food system is bigger than the Royal Navy, serving more than 10 million pupils and nearly five million meals every day – that equates to about 41 meals per second. And every single one of them is doing a brilliant job.”

The eight categories available for nomination, include:

• The One Show’s Rising Star Award: The schools that have the highest aspirations and are on a brilliant food journey are in the running for this award, and may be working in particularly tough circumstances.
• Food Educator of the Year: This food educator is a real hero, going above and beyond to inspire students through the joy of food. They can be anyone, from a school gardener to a food tech teacher.
• The Food for Fuel Award with Joe Wicks: Jamie Oliver has teamed up with The Body Coach to champion an outstanding teacher who brings together food and physical activity to create a healthy school environment. Encouraging children to be active and eat well at school is so important – fuelling them to feel good and boosting their physical and mental health.
• The Sun‘s Catering Team Champions: This award is for the catering team that shows real dedication to the food it provides and the pupils it serves.
• Sustainability Star: Going to the school that is dedicated to making the food it serves sustainable, and creating an eco-friendly school environment.
• Heart‘s Kindness and Community Award: This person – a student or staff member – has shown real kindness through food at school and in their local community. This could be setting up community fridges, raising money for local food banks, or similar endeavours. 
• Governor or School Leader Food Hero: This person has a clear vision and has empowered the people around them to achieve it.
• Youth Activist of the Year: This is for a person who has campaigned to make the food experience across their school better; whether that’s by making it fairer, better for the planet, or better for pupils’ health.

The team of judges includes Jamie Oliver, Mary Berry, Prue Leith, Joe Wicks and Greg James. Current LACA chair Anita Brown alongside immediate past chair of LACA Brad Pearce and LACA vice chair Judith Gregory will be involved as expert panel advisors.

The Good School Food Awards are open to nurseries, pre-school, primary and secondary non-paying schools and individuals who work in these schools. Applications need to be made online (nominations close on Sunday 24th March 2024).