London school children gain unique insight into how the food that will feed London 2012 spectators and athletes is reared, grown and harvested.
Members of the Get Set network visit a farm!
31 May 2011
School children from six London boroughs were selected to visit the Food Animal Initiative’s (FAI) farm in Oxfordshire this week as part of McDonald’s Open Farms programme.
The programme raises awareness of the key role British and Irish farms will play in providing produce for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Students from five schools in the Get Set network attended the event; Greenslade Primary School in Greenwich, Davis Lane Primary in Waltham Forset, Holmleigh Primary in Hackney, Selwyn Primary in Newham and Parsloes primary in Barking. The schools spent the day on a farm which supplies some of the food for McDonald’s menu and saw firsthand the very best in standards and welfare that it demonstrates.
The children, aged eight and nine, had the chance to see livestock including cows, pigs, chickens and sheep and also took part in Olympic themed activities that linked their observations and experiences to areas in the school curriculum such as science, physical education and citizenship.
The visit follows a formal launch of the Open Farms programme at the Olympic Park last May. The event was attended by LOCOG Chair Lord Seb Coe, LOCOG’s Food Advisory Group, and senior figures from the world of agriculture.
At the launch Lord Seb Coe said: “We want to enhance everyone’s experience of the Games by celebrating the great diversity and quality of British food on offer. The sheer scale of providing 14 million meals in just four weeks means this is a genuine opportunity for British agriculture. The strong partnerships McDonald’s has built with British and Irish agriculture will help us deliver the food vision we have set out for the Games and help us deliver an Olympic legacy for farming.”
Mike Gooding from the FAI commented: “It’s incredibly important that we educate young people about how farms work and the standards in welfare that are needed to produce the best quality food.”
The schools selected to take part in the programme were all members of the Get Set network. As well as creating opportunities for children and young people to get involved in the excitement of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, members of the Get Set network gain access to exclusive rewards and opportunities.
Apply to join the Get Set network today!
