East Gosford Public School has received over $10,000 to upgrade its canteen following a successful application under the Community Building Partnership (CBP) program.
The grant is to be used to repaint the canteen as well as upgrade appliances in line with the NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy that aims to promote healthy eating for the students.
Member for Gosford Liesl Tesch announced the funding recently.
“Healthy eating and maintaining a healthy lifestyle is something I have always been passionate about and I am so pleased to announce East Gosford Public School’s success in the CBP program,” Tesch said.
“Our children should be able to access healthy food options for lunch and recess, and this grant will allow our wonderful members of the P&C to offer this through better appliances and a better designed space.”
Canteen manager Melissa Hogston said the canteen has not been updated in decades.
“As we are starting to make more healthy food as part of the NSW Healthy School Canteen Strategy, the new appliances will make it much easier, especially since some of the old equipment was starting to fall apart,” she said.
“I’ve been here for six years and there has been quite an increase in lunch orders, so the money will be used for new and bigger appliances for the increase in demand.
“There will also be a fresh coat of paint and new shelving for the canteen.”
Tesch said the improvements would form part of a broader campaign to update public school canteen menus so they offer greater variety and freshness and are more nutritionally valuable.
“This will make life much easier for our hardworking P&C volunteers, and will ultimately lead to healthier children,” she said.
“I am pleased this funding will go towards our future leaders and hopefully promote a healthier lifestyle for our kids.”
CCN