News

LACA’s National School Meals Week (NSMW) has secured an event at the Welsh Assembly’s Pierhead Building in Cardiff Bay.

The iconic Grade 1 listed building, one of the city of Cardiff’s most familiar landmarks, will host a gathering of Assembly Members and support staff, invited guests and members of the general public on Tuesday September 20th as part of the build up to NSMW.

The occasion will allow school caterers from across Wales to demonstrate to attendees everything that is great about today’s education catering.

The event has been sponsored by the Assembly Member for Wrexham, Ms. Lesley Griffiths who commented: “It is crucial that we continue to promote healthy eating in children, particularly with the child obesity crisis that we are enduring across the country. Public Health Wales has discovered clear links to obesity and deprivation with low-income families having higher than average numbers of overweight or obese children. School meals are a vital factor in the battle we face to overcome this situation and I had no hesitation in agreeing to the request to stage this event in the Welsh Assembly”

LACA’s Chair of Events Neil Porter said: “We are delighted to be returning to the National Assembly for Wales to keep education catering high on the political agenda. There has never been a more appropriate time to increase the awareness of the benefits of a school meal. A child having a hot, healthy, nutritious and tasty lunch will concentrate better in the afternoon with research showing significant improvements in education attainment.

"In addition we shouldn’t lose sight of the contribution school food makes to local economies, with more supplies of fresh ingredients than ever being sourced locally from farmers and wholesalers etc."

LACA Chair Peter McGrath added: “After the success of last year’s event in the Senedd, it is marvellous to be given another opportunity to engage with Assembly Members. For that we must thank Lesley Griffiths for her continued support for our work in promoting healthy eating for the country’s school children.

"To have enabled such a high profile occasion for us is wonderful and every Member will be contacted in the coming months to put across our message and invite them to come along to the Pierhead Building, enjoy the food and see for themselves the terrific work that school caterers do on a daily basis.”