Since our School Food Champions kicked off in September, teams from all across the country have joined forces to help drive change.

Thousands Pledge To Make Schools Healthier

In our nationwide pledge contest, schools up and down the country shared their vision of a healthy school food environment.

The results were incredible: we had 4,900 pledges. Prizes were awarded to the school with the most total pledges, and the school with the highest ratio of pledges to students.

With an awe-inspiring 1,472, Oasis Academy MediaCityUK in Manchester was our clear winner for most pledges. And Whytrig Community Middle School in Northumberland clearly captured the imagination of its students for our second award, with an impressive 80% of them signing up.

Meeting Our School Food Champions

School Food Champions at Mount St Mary’s Catholic High School in Leeds gave Eimer from the Bite Back team a guided tour. They showed her their food options, including the pasta pod, panini shack and the main canteen.

Eimer then joined the team’s weekly meeting.They were making mood boards about their dream foods to have at school – Eimer got stuck in. They chatted about what they’d love to see at Mount St Mary’s, such as more culturally diverse dishes.

And when Kaya from Bite Back visited Churchmead School near Slough, the School Food Champions showed her the canteen, and explained their lunchtime routine. Kaya heard about their activities so far, from critiquing the lunch menu to exploring other local food options — which sparked conversations about the misleading health claims plastered over junk food packaging.

When asked what they enjoy most about the programme, they said: “Being part of a national movement working towards a common goal."

Three Top Tips For Our Young Activists

Over 200 young people joined our Youth Social Action Webinars in December. Experienced Bite Back activist Christina Adane shared three top campaigning tips:.

1. Always be up for conversation: Even if you disagree with what someone has to say, conversation is important. Talking to people with different opinions and adapting your argument will make you a better campaigner.
2. Stay focused on your message: Always keep in mind why you’re fighting for this change. This helps you combat nerves, so you can speak more confidently.
3. Stick to three anchors: When speaking, plan a beginning, middle and end point to help anchor what you say. This will stop you rambling and keep you focussed on your narrative.