“Serving a school lunch to MP’s straight after PMQ’s (prime minister's questions) at the House of Commons is the perfect opportunity to raise the profile of the school catering industry and LACA is delighted to be hosting the event on Wednesday 26th June,” says Anne Bull, LACA Chair.
Anne continues: “The NSMW contract has been awarded to Elygra Marketing Services who specialise in promoting all that is ‘great’ about the school meals industry and already work with many school caterers and suppliers to the industry.
"LACA has ambitious plans for NSMW moving forward and we want to use the event to help caterers market the school meals industry, not just during NSMW but by providing resources and an informative website, members will be able to access promotional material to use all year around."
LACA’s headline news for the 2013 campaign is that it wants every pupil in England and Wales to have access to a free school lunch during the week to experience all that is ‘great about school lunches’.
If that happened, organisers say it would make the event the biggest sampling exercise of its kind and school caterers could use the opportunity to promote all that they see as being great about school lunches.
Adds Anne: "We recognise cost will be an issue for some caters and as such are seeking Government support – a key to this will be highlighting to MP’s on 26th June what a modern school meal looks and tastes like and why they should support the campaign.
"I will write shortly to the LACA membership with more details but so far, and in a very short time, together we have secured a lot."
The list includes:
1. A Media Partner – One Trinity Mirror - Second largest publisher in Europe (both online, in the press and in the Primary Times magazine) to promote NSMW
2. A slot on the ‘All Party Parliamentary Group’ of MP’s on 12th June to put forward the case to financially support a free trial of school meals for all during NSMW
3. High profile support for the industry. Football clubs are starting to sign up to support the event, the league champions Manchester United being the first - we have a meeting with the Premiership as a whole on 4th June.
For more details visit www.nsmw.org.uk where you can also show your support by becoming a School Meals Ambassador.