National School Meals Week declared the biggest and best yet

The week took place from 9th to 13th November and promoted healthy school meals to parents and children. Over 90 authorities signed up for the week and the most before this year was 80. LACA has estimated that over 16,000 schools took part in 2009. The voice of the week was Colin Jackson who encouraged young people to get active in his online exercise routine. To coincide LACA announced that a roast dinner with sponge and custard was Britain's favourite school meal and primary pupils were busy making thank you cards for their school caterers. LACA chair Beverley Baker said: "NSMW has run from 1993 but this year was the biggest and best yet. We had more schools taking part than ever before. There was lots of media coverage across the country, there were different activities each day and special days for Primary and Secondary Schools. It was the first time we had used the new media techniques and many thousands of people have visited www.iloveschoolmeals.co.uk and downloaded the various materials. "LACA will continue down this path because this is the way our customers are now communicating with each other. However, the key to the week is the participation of our members. I have seen many of the press articles and I love the ingenuity of everyone coming up with different ways of promoting healthy lifestyles to young children as part of the week." Next year NSMW will take place from 8th to 12th November 2010.