Reply to comment

Published: 10 September 2010
by JAMIE WELHAM

A GROUP of Pimlico parents, among them a former school dinner lady, have launched a campaign to extend the government’s free school meals programme to every child in Westminster.

The group hopes to persuade education bos­ses that serving free school lunches to all pupils would provide the breakthrough in the battle against child obesity, as well as ending what they claim is an unfair system that punishes working mums. They said school meals improve “health, concentration and behaviour”.

Currently around a third of pupils in the borough are entitled to free school meals, which are means tested – costing the council £3.5million last year. 

The group, some of whom went to Parlia­ment to lobby the government on introducing free meals across Britain, have started a petition and hope to replicate successful campaigns in Islington and Newham.

Mother of two Christine Goldsmith said: “I’m not on ben­efits but have only one income in my household and I dread the winter when I have to pay because it can be a real struggle. Everyone eat­ing school dinners helps behaviour, it helps kids eat healthily, and it means kids don’t feel left out.”

Another parent, Emma Taylor, who has five children and used to work as a dinner lady at Churchill Gardens Primary School, said: “Everyone has an idea that people living in Westminster are rich. But it’s not like that and bringing up children here is tough because the supermarkets are so much more expensive. Spending money on school dinners will save money in the future. We want the best for our children, and that’s what this is all about.”

The group have won the support of children’s charity Save the Children, which is helping parents take the campaign forward as part of a wider programme it  runs with the South Westminster Parents’ Forum. The parents hope to win the backing of headteachers and politicians, but could face an uphill struggle.

Education Secretary Michael Gove has been lukewarm about extend­ing free school meals, with many areas seeing blanket provision scrap­ped by the coalition gov­ernment. The decision caused a backlash among health profes­sionals. The council said there was no plans to make all school meal free. 

Nickie Aiken, West­minster Council’s cabin­et member for children and young people, said: “Our school meals are healthy and nutritious, and at just £1.75 per meal are some of the cheapest in London, providing excellent value for money for Westmin­ster’s pupils.”