The School Milk Project (TSMP) was established in 1998 by the Women’s Food & Farming Union and funded by the Milk Development Council with the aim of increasing the uptake of milk in primary schools, which is of enormous nutritional benefit to a child’s every day dietary intake. The Project is a non-profit making organisation, acting as an advisory and information group.

The Project funds and employs Facilitators to discuss with LEA’s, Schools and Administrators the best practices for the implementation of School Milk Schemes in their areas.

Facilitator’s role and responsibilities:

To promote the uptake of school milk through direct contact with schools.

To demonstrate practical solutions to the issues faced at school level and share best practices.

To work with the Local Education Authority, Local Health Authority and other Government bodies where appropriate.

To initiate and promote links with the Healthy Schools Initiative, Community Oral Health teams, school nurses and any other networking deemed appropriate in each area.

To liase with the local Dairy Suppliers, ensuring efficient delivery of school milk and advising on/overcoming any issues raised via school/LEA contacts.

Facilitators visit Primary Schools to carry out research as to the availability of milk schemes at break time, to advise and aid those schools who wish to participate in the introduction of school milk, to assist schools with existing schemes with publicity/promotion to increase milk consumption by pupils and to document reasons and overcome concerns relating to the non-implementation of schemes.

The Project’s introduction of practical schemes, geared towards individual schools ensures that more children have the opportunity to enjoy the nutritional benefits of fresh milk at an early age and to acquire the milk drinking habit to improve the health of the future generation.

A Facilitator is able to advise and assist in the introduction of new schemes, geared specifically to individual schools. We look at the whole scheme, from delivery to distribution, payment to publicity and refrigeration to re-cycling. By having a physical presence in schools we are able to determine any problem areas and offer ways in which to best overcome these, thereby enabling Head Teacher’s to make an informed decision, as to the viability of a school milk scheme in their school. We have been fortunate to witness the operation of existing schemes in Primary Schools and can therefore pass on this knowledge and experience to other schools.