Charity launches healthy eating guidelines for pre schools

NEWS RELEASE

15 November 2004

Charity launches healthy eating guidelines for pre-schools

The Pre-school Learning Alliance launches its Nutritional Guidance for Under Fives today, as part of its wider changing lives, changing life Campaign. The Guidance has been developed in partnership with the British Nutrition Foundation and will be a unique and invaluable practical resource for its 15,000 pre-schools and 500,000 children and families.

This launch comes in the week that the government is expected to launch its Public Health White Paper, which will include the government's proposals on tackling obesity especially among children. Whilst welcoming the publication of the White Paper, the Alliance hopes it will concentrate on improving diet and nutrition not just at school age but for the under fives as well. Food and dietary preferences are often developed in the early years and once established they are difficult to change. The charity believes that the Nutritional Guidance will make an impact in addressing the problem of obesity and help early years and childcare workers, parents and their families develop their knowledge on good food and nutrition.

To support the launch, the Alliance has also developed an online resource for parents and those working in the early years and childcare sector. Nutritional information and practical advice is available at www.pre-school.org.uk/food.

Steve Alexander, Chief Executive of the Pre-school Learning Alliance, said:

"The Government has highlighted the issue of obesity in children, but our experience tell us that there is a huge gap in reliable information for parents and early years workers on food and nutrition for the under fives. The Alliance has been working hard to address this need and with the influence of the Public Health White Paper we expect to make a tangible difference."

"It is important to make sure that we provide a practical resource for nurseries, pre-schools, and parents, so they can influence children's diets at an early age. Our Nutritional Guidance, as part of the Feeding Young Imaginations campaign will help to ensure that all young children get the best possible start in life."

Feeding Young Imaginations is part of a wider campaign changing lives, changing life. The Pre-school Learning Alliance in partnership with the British Nutrition Foundation has launched a programme to provide practical support for parents and pre-school settings and to develop best practice in diet and nutrition in the early years. This will involve:

Support for parents of young children in providing healthy food that their children will enjoy through recipe cards, a new Pre-school Cookbook and tips on healthy eating
Hands-on training programmes for pre-school leaders, workers and volunteers
An award scheme for pre-school settings to recognise high quality food and balanced healthy menus in early years' settings
An informative and interactive website for children, parents and settings, offering information and guidance, recipes and questions and answers prepared by nutritional experts

ENDS

For further information please contact:

Andrew Fletcher
Pre-school Learning Alliance
T: 020 7278 9037
Out of hours press calls: 07979 531 130
E: Andrew Fletcher

Notes for Editors:

Further information about the Pre-school Learning Alliance and the changing lives, changing life, is available from the charity's website www.pre-school.org.uk. Or Telephone: 020 7833 0991.
The charity has also launched a second strand of the campaign — Meeting the Workforce Challenge — focusing on the need for a more developed strategy to recruit, train and pay an expanded, integrated childcare workforce, to meet the considerable shortfall in the sector and to improve the continuity of care for all children.
The Pre-school Learning Alliance has 15,000 member pre-schools who look after 500,000 young children and their families in England every year. Registered as an educational charity, the Alliance is the national dimension of the pre-school movement. Its member pre-schools are based in the community and most are managed and run by parents, alongside trained staff.
The charity is involved in more Sure Start projects than any other organisation and aims to open around 30 Neighbourhood Nurseries by the end of the year.
Pre-school Learning Alliance members receive a regular magazine (Under Five) reflecting issues affecting the early years sector. If you would like to receive a copy of this please call 020 7833 0991.
Further information and all press releases are available on the Pre-school Learning Alliance's website: www.pre-school.org.uk or email pressoffice@pre-school.org.uk
The British Nutrition Foundation is an independent scientific charity that promotes the nutritional well being of society through the impartial interpretation and dissemination of scientifically based nutritional knowledge and advice. It works in partnership with academic and research institutes, the food industry and government. Its activities are designed to influence all in the food chain, the professions, government and the media.
Contact details: British Nutrition Foundation High Holborn House, 52-54 High Holborn, London WC1V 6RQ, Tel: 020 7404 6504 Fax: 020 7404 6747 Email: postbox@nutrition.org.uk