Free fruit and veg scheme has made a real difference at our South Tyneside school
Children at Boldon School have eaten nearly 15,000 items of fruit and veg as part of a healthy eating scheme.
The school in Boldon Colliery has been revealed as the biggest consumers of Tesco's Fruit and Veg in schools scheme across the country, eating an enormous 14,778 items of fruit and veg in one school year.
The scheme, which is backed by the British Nutrition Foundation, puts purchasing power in the hands of pupils, who are taken to a convenient Tesco store to their location and asked to shop for the fruit and veg that most appeal to them.
Students not only benefit from nutritious snacks at break times, but also life skills like budgeting and interacting with supermarket staff to make their purchases.
Val Hanson, Senior Student Mentor at Boldon School, South Tyneside said: “Not in a month of Sundays did we realise the difference free fruit and veg would have on our school – it’s phenomenal.
“More than half of our pupils are on free school meals, so having access to healthy food has not only made sure they’re getting the vitamins and nutrients they need, but it’s also been ideal for some of the kids who are quite vulnerable.
“We get some of the kids involved in the scheme who are having a tough time at home or who need help with behaviour or attendance, and they’re helping us to shop or distribute the fruit every week. Having that routine, being involved as part of a group, making new friends and meeting people in the shops can really build confidence, and it almost works as a counselling session sometimes.”
Val added:“The kids love shopping; they love getting to use a trolley and the fact they can just put anything in it. At home, their parents or carers might say ‘We can’t afford blueberries, they’re too expensive’.
“Whereas here, they can put in as many blueberries as they want. It’s nice for them to experience that. Not having to worry about money, because they’re only kids – they shouldn’t have to worry about money.”
Val said the scheme has made a big difference at breakfast times, helping kids who say they’re hungry to concentrate.
Val continued: “We do get funding for a breakfast club but it’s never enough, whereas this funding from Tesco is constant and consistent.
“The kids love it because it’s not only the free school meal children who receive it, it’s everyone. We’ve got kids from all different cultures and backgrounds, and it’s wonderful that these children are using fruit and veg to mix with each other.”