DairyCo

West Lothian Case study

Best Practice

West Lothian LA
West Lothian is a very health oriented authority with 66 primary schools. It has driven subsidised milk schemes at traditional break time for several years, run by the administrators in schools. Milk is also available at breakfast clubs and at lunch time.

DairyCo's School Milk Project (TSMP) provided resources and support to endorse their excellent schemes and promote visibility of milk within the schools. The support came at an ideal time when the authority had decided to provide free milk for primary 1-3 pupils on the scheme, which the Project helped to promote.

TSMP encouraged the authority to look towards its 'taken for granted' scheme ethos in the remainder of the classes, and see it as a huge contributor toward the health of children under their care and an authority where excellent practice had been maintained over many years.

PR opportunities were utilised to encourage this and the Project was included in the Authority Health Promotion Directory. Over 6000 pupils from West Lothian will be given free milk after returning from the Easter holidays.

All P1 - P3 pupils in the region's 66 primary schools will benefit from the initiative, which is part of West Lothian Council's aim of helping to encourage a healthy lifestyle for younger people.

The announcement that free school milk would be provided in West Lothian was first announced in February 2008 as part of the council administration's budget initiative.

Executive Councillor for Education, Andrew Miller, said: "West Lothian Council are putting more money into important local services such as police, nursery, primary, secondary and specialist schools.

"Our decision to provide free milk to all P1 - P3 pupils emphasises our commitment to installing a healthy living ethos into our young people.

"Milk is a basic and simple natural product but it provides many benefits to a healthy diet, especially the younger generation.  If young people learn the benefits of healthy eating and drinking at an early age it will hopefully stay with them into adulthood."

Pupils from Polkemmet Primary School lapped up a visit from Charlotte the Cow during a visit this week. Charlotte the School Milk Project mascot and visited the school to help celebrate West Lothian Council's decision to provide free milk to all P1 - P3 pupils.