5th Aug 2008 - 00:00
Abstract
A deal has been struck between Dorset County Council and the Department for Children, Schools and Families that will see hot meals return to primary school children across the area.
Around £3.5m will be used to help the schools and the money will be staggered over three years allowing the council to liaise with the schools. Dorset County Council will match the money put forward by the Department for Children, Schools and Families. Chris Maycroft, project manager for the school meals programme, said: "We will now be able to create facilities to improve the uptake of hot meals and make sure every child has the opportunity, in the future, to access a hot, nutritious and healthy meal at school." Hub kitchens will be built in centralised locations and will allow meals to be cooked off-site and then brought into schools. In the 1980's many Dorset schools lost kitchen space after the council ruled that cooking areas were to be turned into teaching space.