New after-school meal service set to provide nutritious meals and cost-of-living to pupils and families at Walsall school

Families at a Walsall school are being invited to benefit from nutritious meals for free at a school after the launch of a new scheme around saving surplus food.

Community dining charity FoodCycle has launched the new after-school meal at Goldsmith Primary Academy in Walsall on Wednesdays, which turns surplus food that would otherwise go to waste into free community meals for pupils and their families.

FoodCycle is a UK community dining charity that brings people together to enjoy good food and conversation, with volunteers serving up free, wholesome meals made from food that would have gone to waste.

The charity said it creates a cycle of positive change through community meals around the country, reducing food waste, tackling loneliness, encouraging healthy eating and sustainable living.

Maximilian Wakeman is Headteacher at Goldsmith Primary Academy, part of the Windsor Academy Trust said: “This is a brilliant opportunity for our children and families.

“We know how important it is that everyone has access to nutritious food.

“What’s so exciting about the FoodCycle school community meal is that it’s not just about sharing a meal and we’ll also be helping to save surplus food from going to waste.

“It’s a wonderful way to show children the value of good food, sustainability and community, while bringing generations together around the table.”

Liam Stanton, Civic Lead and Assistant Head at Goldsmith Primary Academy said: “Bringing FoodCycle to Goldsmith Primary Academy perfectly creates the link between our educational mission and our civic strategy.

“This powerful partnership commits us to ensuring Goldsmith acts as civic anchor at the heart of our community.

“We're thrilled to be taking action with Foodcycle to support community wellbeing. Goldsmith is proud to be looking outward, reducing waste, and strengthening the social fabric of the neighbourhood we serve through community dining."

FoodCycle’ School Coordinator for the Midlands Fabrice Millet said: “We’re so pleased to be launching our new FoodCycle school community meal at Goldsmith Primary Academy.

“At FoodCycle, we see first-hand how a healthy, delicious meal in a warm and friendly atmosphere makes a real difference to people’s lives.

“We’d love to see lots of local people volunteering and no experience is needed, just a willingness to get involved.”

“Our school community meals are about so much more than providing access to nutritious food. We’re bringing pupils and families together to sit down, chat and get to know one another while also saving food from being wasted. It all helps to build a stronger more caring community.”

It is the third West Midlands school to offer a weekly FoodCycle menu, providing access to nutritious two-course meals for the school community, while helping save surplus food from going to landfill.

Goldsmith Primary Academy is also the seventh UK school to launch a FoodCycle community meal.

FoodCycle National Schools Manager Sophie Aoun said: “FoodCycle’s school community meals are helping families access healthy, nutritious food and friendly company at a time when the high cost of living continues to put real pressure on household budgets.

“With millions of children across the UK growing up in poverty and too many families struggling to afford fresh fruit and vegetables, we know how difficult it can be to eat healthily.

“By turning surplus food into free, wholesome meals, we’re not only helping to tackle food insecurity as we’re also bringing pupils and families together to share a meal, build connections and strengthen their wider school community.

“Our hope is that these meals do more than fill plates for an evening, they help build confidence around healthy eating and sustainable living, creating a cycle of positive change that lasts well beyond the school gates.”

FoodCycle is appealing for people to help at the new after-school meal, with volunteers needed to help with cooking, serving and washing-up and no experience is needed and training is provided.

Each week FoodCycle volunteers take part in a Ready Steady Cook style challenge to create a tasty menu, with mains such as shepherd’s pie, curry, or pasta and sauce, and desserts like fruit salad, or crumble with lashings of custard.

The FoodCycle meal meal runs at Goldsmith Primary Academy on Wednesdays from 2.30pm onwards and is served to pupils and their families.