MP TO SWAP QUESTION TIME FOR MILK TIME

Alison McGovern, MP for Wirral South, will help Thornton Hough Playgroup celebrate World School Milk Day by swapping his parliamentary duties for those of honorary milk monitor.

Thornton Hough Playgroup is one of thousands of schools across more than 40 countries taking part in celebrations dedicated to World School Milk Day this month. The day encourages children to drink milk and aims to educate them about the benefits of milk.  

In the UK, school milk is free for children in day-care or primary education under the age of five, and subsidised for school students aged five to eleven. Milk is delivered fresh and chilled to the classroom, distributed by students and consumed as a group.

This process helps teach children responsibility, independence, manners and numeracy, and provides important social time in a child’s day. Further, milk is vital for building healthy bones and teeth and improves a child’s concentration, memory and creativity.

Alison McGovern said providing milk in early life is important in supporting the health and development of our children.

“It provides vitamins and nutrients which are especially beneficial to young children, helping them to develop healthy teeth and bones. The public outcry last year when the coalition Government proposed the scrapping of free school milk illustrates how important it is, and I am pleased that they subsequently dropped those plans,” she said.

John Sedgwick, Managing Director for Cool Milk, said encouraging milk consumption from an early age is vital for establishing good eating habits. “What better time in life to start drinking milk than when we need it most?” he said.

World School Milk Day is celebrated globally on September 28th. For more information go to www.worldschoolmilkday.com

Alison McGovern will be attending Thornton Hough Playgroup on Friday September 16th at 10am to serve as honorary milk monitor. Photo and interview opportunities will be available on the day. For more information call Emma O’Neill from Shooting Star PR on M: 07530 390698 T: 01522 528540 or E: emma@shootingstar-pr.co.uk

Notes to Editor

• Cool Milk is the UK’s leading school milk suppliers, working in partnership with local authorities and early years groups to supply free and subsidised school milk to children in pre-schools, nurseries, and primary schools across the UK.

• The 1944 Education Act introduced a free milk clause which gave a free glass (1/3 pint) of milk to all school children in the United Kingdom under the age of 18. Today, under the Welfare Food Scheme run by the Department of Health, under-fives are still eligible for free school milk. Milk is also subsidised for school children aged five to 11 by the European Union under the European school milk scheme.
  
  
• Health benefits of drinking milk from a young age include the prevention of broken bones and the onset of osteoporosis as well as improvements in dental health.
  
  
• World School Milk Day began in 2000 and is an initiative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). More than 40 countries around the world including China, Iran, India and Tanzania will celebrate the day this year. 

Emma O’Neill                               Tel: 01522 528540                          M:  07530 390698         

emma@shootingstar-pr.co.uk    www.shootingstar-pr.co.uk      [coolmilk13edwardgarnier] 

Emma O'Neill
Shooting Star PR
07530390698
emma@shootingstar-pr.co.uk
www.shootingstar-pr.co.uk

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