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Good Food Training for London
Project Background
Greenwich Co-operative Development Agency (GCDA) has been contracted by the London Development Agency to
provide free training to increase the levels of healthy and sustainable food for public sector caterers
including schools, residential carer homes and hospitals. The courses are open to everyone involved and
designed to suit all skill levels, meeting their needs in procuring, nutrition, preparing and cooking
healthy and seasonal food.
The primary driver for this project is to increase the training and skills levels in the public sector
and to increase the procurement of healthy, sustainable food, in line with one of the priority actions
of the Mayor’s London Food strategy, launched in 2006. This will be done by delivering training across
London, addressing the quality and accessibility of the food supplied and the level of food skills and training.
Strategy
In May 2006 The Mayor’s London Food Strategy was launched. ‘Healthy and Sustainable food for London’
London Food Strategy has five broad objectives. They are to:
- improve Londoners' health and reduce health inequalities via the food they eat
- reduce the negative environmental impacts of London's food system
- support a vibrant food economy
- celebrate and promote London's food culture
- develop London's food security
The strategy has 6 key targets which include these 3;
5: Delivering healthy schools
Schools have a fundamental role in the food system in London: they have the opportunity to provide pupils
with healthy meals at least once a day; they can educate children about food, nutrition, healthy eating
and the environment; they can equip children with the skills they need to make informed choices and prepare
their own food and they can enable children to educate and pass on knowledge to their parents and
peers.
3: Levering the power of procurement
The public sector in England spends £1.8 billion on food and catering services. Providing appropriate services
to increase the opportunities for domestic producers to compete for this business has the potential to support
London’s food economy, to reduce the environmental impact of London’s food system and to contribute to the
improved health of Londoners. Although the needs of the private and public sectors are very different, the
scale of the potential positive impact is such that both must be involved.
6. Reducing Food-related waste and litter,
This consists of both packaging and organic waste, has significant environmental, economic and health
impacts. Two areas of intervention are called for – waste reduction/re-use and secondly, recycling.
The initiative will:
- Develop the skills level within public sector caterers to ensure that good quality, healthy food is served
consistently
- Provide considerable health benefits to Londoners, including school children and hospital patients, by
improving the nutritional standards of public food and implementing the whole-school approach in schools
- Increase use of sustainable food within the public sector to meet the London Food Strategy’s objectives
regarding sustainable food sourcing
- Increase number of trained public sector caterers who meet the new Government standards
- Help to reduce the environmental impact of London’s food system by promoting the sourcing of more
sustainable food
- Provide benefits to the London economy by promoting more local and regional sourcing
Delivery Partners
Sustain – The Alliance for Better Food
and Farming was launched on 17 June 1999. It was formed by merging
The National Food Alliance and the Sustainable Agriculture Food and Environment (SAFE) Alliance, both of
which had been established for over 10 years.
The alliance is a registered charity and Company Limited by Guarantee and advocates food and agriculture
policies and practices that enhance the health and welfare of people and animals, improve their working
and living environment, enrich society and culture and promote equity. It represents around 100 national
public interest organisations working at international, national, regional and local level.
Greenwich Teaching Primary Care
Trust (GTPCT) – Greenwich Primary Care Trust was established in February
2001, becoming operational on 1st April 2001. They became a Teaching Primary Care Trust in April
2003. Their mission is to work alongside, and provide leadership to, a range of partners in order
to develop innovative and imaginative approaches aimed at improving the overall health of people in
Greenwich and radically reducing health inequalities.
GTPCT has been instrumental in implementing local initiatives in healthy eating as part of healthier
life style to develop the skills required to prepare a healthy diet using affordable, easily accessible
ingredients with particular attention to reducing fat, salt and sugar content.
Good Food Training Course List
Good Food Application form
For more information contact:
Mel Taylor (GCDA) schools mel@gcda.org.uk, tel: 020 8269 4889
Pamela Brunton (Sustain) hospitals, care homes & prisons Pamela@sustainweb.org, tel: 020 7837 1228
Claire Pritchard (GCDA) Project Manager Claire@gcda.org.uk, tel: 020 8269 4884
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