Organised by Cool Milk as part of the company’s campaign to promote the new legislation that came into effect this year as part of the School Food Plan, a London school welcomed a celebrity guest after winning a visit from TV’s Dr Hilary Jones.
During his visit, Jones, best known for his role as health editor on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, presented a special school assembly about the health and lifestyle benefits of drinking milk.
He visited classrooms and talked to children about why drinking milk at mid-morning break helps to give them a great energy boost and keeps them topped up until lunchtime.
He also helped to hand out milk to all the children, which was provided free by Cool Milk for winning the competition.
Jones, a GP and medical adviser to Cool Milk, said: “It was a joy to meet the children at Manor Longbridge School, and I had a fantastic time meeting staff and parents.
“It was wonderful to talk on a subject about which I am passionate. A healthy, balanced diet is key to good health in later life, so providing the right building blocks at this early age is essential.
“Milk is the nearest thing you can get to a whole food in a single cup. It is packed with important vitamins A, C and B, as well as calcium, iron, magnesium and potassium.
“It’s really important that children and their parents understand that drinking milk provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for children to build a strong, healthy body, setting them up perfectly for growth into adulthood.
“Not only this, but if milk is drunk at mid-morning break, it provides the fuel to aid concentration and support learning right through to lunch, encouraging academic achievement,” Jones added.
Thelma McGorrighan, head teacher at Manor Longbridge School, said: “What a fantastic and added bonus for the whole school. When we signed up to Cool Milk to administer our school milk programme, none of us thought we had a chance of winning a visit from Dr Hilary.
“He was absolutely charming, and the children hung on his every word. I think we’ll have even more milk drinkers to manage now.”
The new legislation on school milk states that lower-fat milk must be available for drinking at least once a day during school hours.
Barking and Dagenham Council is working with Cool Milk to encourage uptake within their school milk programme. Manor Longbridge School was one of 32 local schools to sign up to receive school milk from Cool Milk.
Cllr Evelyn Carpenter, cabinet member for education and schools, said: “We are delighted to welcome Dr Hilary to one of our schools and are very happy to be working with Cool Milk to increase children’s calcium intake.
“We have been encouraging our children and young people to make healthy lifestyle choices, and this is another way we can help children to develop healthy eating habits. Through the good work in our schools catering services, we are making sure children in Barking and Dagenham get the nutrition they need to stay healthy and well educated.”
John Sedgwick, managing director of Cool Milk, said: “At Cool Milk, we are committed to giving children the best possible start in life, and by working with Dr Hilary Jones, we help to inform them about the health benefits of milk in a friendly, fun and entertaining way.”