Your work to improve food in schools in the South East is supported by regional representatives from a range of programmes.

FACE (Food & Countryside Education)

A national charity that aims to educate children and young people about food and farming in a sustainable countryside.The two FACE Regional Education Co-ordinators for the South East can assist schools in finding farms to visit and advise on issues relating to food, farming and education. All co-ordinators have a teaching background and can also organise training and other events in your area.

Louisa Devismes covers Bracknell Forest, Brighton & Hove, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent & Medway, Portsmouth, Reading, Slough, Southampton, Surrey, West Berkshire, West Sussex, Windsor & Maidenhead, Wokingham

T: 01273 892096

E: louisa@face-online.org.uk

Meg Hart covers Buckinghamshire, Milton Keynes, Oxfordshire

T: 01494 562716

E: meg@face-online.org.uk

Food for Life Partnership Programme

A Soil Association-led 5 year initiative to transform food cultures in schools and communities.

Sara Osman, the South East Regional Co-ordinator, can provide information about enrolling for the Food for Life Partnership Mark, applying to become a flagship school, contacting participating schools to share their experiences and finding out about local events and what organic farms you can visit.

T: 07824 635 816

E: sosman@soilassociation.org

Food Standards Agency
The watchdog established to protect the public’s health and consumer interests in relation to food safety, healthy eating and food labelling information.

Gail Jones, Deputy Regional Coordinator, has materials available for use at a South East regional/sub-regional level such as Eatwell Floor Mats. Gail is happy to support safe food and healthy eating initiatives in schools and the workplace, and has worked with Healthy Schools Coordinators, the voluntary sector, local authority Environmental Health Officers and Trading Standards officers.

T: 01483 882366

M: 07786 681292

E: gail.jones@foodstandards.gsi.gov.uk

Lets Cook! project is sponsored and funded by the Food Standards Agency.
This project started in 2006 and concludes in 2009 and is being very
successful in teaching young parents how to make basic family healthy
meals on a budget.

Diane Sanderson, Home Economics Adviser is the regional contact for the
Lets Cook project which is being delivered by volunteer WI members.
For further details, including the recipes used see
www.womens-institute.org.uk

T: 01865 391788 ext 272

E: d.sanderson@nfwi-unit.org.uk

Let’s Get Cooking - School Food Trust
A School Food Trust national initiative to provide funding and resources to establish cooking clubs and support exisiting clubs. Arriving in post shortly the Let’s Get Cooking staff in the South East will be offering support, training and resources to either establish new cooking clubs or support exisiting clubs aimed at children, their families and the wider community.

Now in post, the Let’s Get Cooking staff in the South East will be offering support, training and resources to either establish new cooking clubs or support exisiting clubs aimed at children, their families and the wider community.

Sophie Wogan – Regional Club Coordinator

T: 01483 882399 / 07795 427744

E: sophie.wogan@sft.gsi.gov.uk

Mari Polonen – Regional Training Officer

T: 07795 953219

E: mari.polonen@sft.gsi.gov.uk

National Healthy Schools Programme - South East
Part of the national programme that helps young people and their schools to be healthy, involving the whole school community.

Find the contact details of your Local Programme Coordinators

Rachel Bailey Regional Coordinator for the South East supports the Local Programmes across the region. Rachel can provide advice and information on all regional Healthy Schools information relating to the four criterion areas, including Healthy Eating. She also provides regional training and access to support materials on Healthy Schools and related issues.

T: 01483 882383

E: rachel.bailey@gose.gsi.gov.uk

SEFPG (South East Food Partnership Group)
A SEEDA-funded (South East Economic Development Agency) organisation to support local food groups and producers and support local procurement in the public sector. Information and support is available for schools from Penny Beauchamp, Public Sector Procurement Initiative Project Manager.

T: 020 7871 5200

E: penny@sefgp.co.uk

Sustainable Schools
The DCSF Sustainable Schools strategy aims to encourage schools on their journey to sustainability, introducing the principles of sustainable development and offering guidance on how to embed these principles into the heart of school life. The Food & Drink doorway from the Sustainable Schools Framework links well to the Healthy Eating theme of the Healthy Schools Standard. The South East Sustainable Schools Network is formed of local authority officers and members of organisations that work to support schools on their journey to being sustainable schools. It’s aim is to work together to best support schools being sustainable and to be an influencing body to gain formal commitment. The network meets termly.

It is supported by Beverley Anderson, South East Sustainable Schools Network Support. Beverley can provide advice and guidance on the Sustainable Schools framework. Please contact Beverley if you are interested in becoming a member of the network.

T: 01483 882341

E: beverley.anderson@gose.gsi.gov.uk

Find more details about other sources of support in the South East for Sustainable Schools activities.

South East Public Health Group
The Department of Health’s regional presence works with other regional government teams, NHS, Local Authorities and regional agencies to reduce health inequalities and improve the health/well-being of those living in the South East.There are a number of regional staff who can offer support with health and wellbeing issues relating to food, obesity and physical activity:

Johnny Denis, Regional Food & Health Development Manager, supports the implementation of South East Food & Health Action Plan.

T: 01273 403677

E: Johnny.Denis@esdwpct.nhs.uk

Lesley Berry, School Food & Health Coordinator, manages the Newsfeed forum and supports regional groups coordinating work on improving school food such as the School Food Working Group and the School Food Ambassador Network.

Lesley can provide training and support to local areas, (Local Authorities, Healthy Schools Teams, School Food Ambassadors, school clusters etc), with establishing local school food groups, working on the Healthy Eating theme of Healthy Schools standard and any other needs relating to improving food in schools.

T: 07912 383 382

E: berry.lesley@gmail.com

Year of Food & Farming
This initiative aims to give young people in England direct experience of the food chain and the countryside. The programme will run through the academic year, from September 2007 to July 2008.

The South East region will be holding a variety of shows and events, demonstrations and visits throughout the SE region promoting the Year of Food and Farming throughout the 2007/2008 academic year and beyond. A regional website is being developed to highlight work across the South East and regular newsletters will be published.

Laura Gigg, South East Year of Food and Farming Coordinator, and her team can provide support with

T: 01483 884841

E: Laura.GIGG@gose.gsi.gov.uk

Other regional support networks

School FEAST Network (Food Excellence & Skills Training) is a national network established by the School Food Trust to support everyone involved in providing school meals to access training and qualifications. Learners from the school food workforce and their employers can access information about local opportunities for training. There is also information available for becoming a training provider in your area.

LACA (Local Authorities Catering Association) is the professional body representing catering managers and suppliers who provide catering services to all sectors of Local Authorities.

Regional Food Policy Groups

School Food Working Group

Hosted by the Regional Public Health Group, Government Office of the South East, this quarterly meeting is attended by most of the regional programme representatives on this page. The group aims to coordinate the various programmes supporting improvements to school food in the region and to discuss issues around food in schools. The regional event to be held on 14th February 2008 to discuss regional support for those working to improve school food will be an opportunity to review the role and function of the School Food Working Group. If you have any questions, queries or suggestions for the group please email Lesley Berry, Regional School Food & Health Coordinator berry.lesley@gmail.com

South East Food Policy Forum

Hosted by the Regional Public Health Group, Government Office of the South East, this quarterly meeting is attended by people representing various food policy interests i.e. public health, academia, procurement, food standards and rural issues. The forum provides oversight of food and health policy in the region and the delivery of the South East’s Food & Health Action Plan.