Hackney schoolchildren star in supermarket giant’s healthy eating campaign
Chef Poppy O’Toole with pupils from Mandeville Primary School. Photograph: courtesy Tigerbond
A Clapton school at the forefront of a push for healthier diets has seen its pupils take centre stage in a national social media campaign.
Mandeville Primary, home to the headline-making School of Food, was picked to help launch Tesco’s Fruit & Veg for Schools drive.
The £4 million scheme will see the supermarket giant donate fruit and vegetables for thousands of young people across the UK.
As part of the launch, Mandeville pupils starred in a series of video clips that are being shared with millions of followers on Tesco’s social media channels.
Headteacher Marc Thompson said the school was “committed to providing our children with delicious, healthy, nutritious meals”.
In the campaign films, pupils are joined by author and chef Poppy O’Toole – who has over 4 million TikTok followers – to try out a variety of recipes.
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O’Toole also led the pupils through a series of fun fruit and veg-related activities, which are all part of the cooking and healthy eating programme at Mandeville.
Fruit & Veg for Schools was developed in partnership with the British Nutrition Foundation (BNF) and will provide funding for 400 schools across the UK to give each pupil at least one piece of fruit or veg a day.
Schools will receive around 16 million pieces of fruit and vegetables in total – the equivalent of 110 portions per child on average over a school year.
Mandeville is taking part in the campaign from this month onwards.
The BNF estimates that, over the course of a school year, the campaign could increase children’s vitamin C intake by 25 per cent, vitamin A by seven per cent, and fibre by 10 per cent.
The funding is being targeted at areas with high participation in free school meals, with data showing that lower income families struggle to afford healthy food.
Elaine Hindal, BNF’s chief executive, said of Tesco’s campaign: “By targeting funding to pupils in areas in need of a little extra help, this is a meaningful and impactful intervention.
“Beyond the funding, we’re excited to strengthen the support with educational resources that will help teachers inspire pupils and foster an ambition to develop healthy habits for these pupils to take through life.”