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Chefs in Schools Chosen for The Times Christmas Appeal
We’re delighted to share that Chefs in Schools has been chosen as one of three charities for this year’s Times and Sunday Times Christmas Appeal.
It’s a landmark moment for us, and for school food. Over the next two months, the appeal will put the work of school chefs and kitchen teams in front of readers across the country, and help us bring great school food to many more children and schools.
Rising costs, new standards
There’s never been a greater need. Rising food costs are making fresh, nutritious food harder to afford, while relentless junk food marketing is proven to change how children eat.
Ultra-processed foods now make up 61% of the calories in UK children’s diets, the highest proportion in Europe. By the time they leave primary school, more than a third of children in England are overweight or obese.
At the same time, more than half a million additional children have become eligible for free school meals, and the school food standards are getting their first major overhaul in more than a decade. Schools are a vital part of the solution.
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How we’re helping
Since 2018, we’ve worked with more than 600 schools, reaching almost 250,000 children. We train and support school kitchen teams to cook fresh, nutritious food from scratch, and help children understand, enjoy and get excited about what they eat.
Lasting change doesn’t come from the menu alone. It comes from investing in the people who cook and serve school food every day, and from building a positive food culture across the whole school, so that dining halls become places of discovery, confidence and belonging.
“Every child deserves to eat good food at school. We know how much difference it can make, not just to their health, but to their enjoyment of school and their experience of learning. Chefs in Schools understands that transforming school food means investing in the people who make it happen every day. I’m immensely proud to be patron of an organisation that is making such a practical and lasting difference, and delighted that The Times and The Sunday Times are giving its work the attention it deserves.”
– Dame Prue Leith, Patron, Chefs in Schools
What your donation can do
Donations to the appeal will help us take this work to more schools. For example:
- £25 gives two schools a pack of recipes and ideas to inspire more colourful, exciting lunches.
- £100 helps a child with special educational needs enjoy and learn about good food throughout their primary school years.
- £1,500 gives a school kitchen team six days of intensive training, with the potential to benefit hundreds of children.
Every pound doubled
Thanks to our generous supporters Adam Wells, The Belazu Foundation, Charlie Bigham’s, The Christopher and Henry Oldfield Trust, and those who wish to remain anonymous, reader donations up to £166,000 will be doubled.
The appeal runs from 7 November until early January, please share the appeal with anyone who cares about school food.