Havering Council is working with London Marathon Events Ltd, organisers of the world’s greatest marathon, to encourage more schools across Havering to take part in The Daily Mile^TM – a global initiative to get pupils jogging or running for 15 minutes every day, at their own pace.

Currently only six schools out of the borough’s 59 primary, junior and infant schools have adopted this healthy initiative within their school. To encourage schools to sign up for The Daily Mile, London Marathon Events will award a £250 prize to one lucky school this term and another £250 prize during the summer term. Schools just need to register at www.thedailymile.co.uk to be entered into the prize draw and the winning school can spend this money on anything that helps keep their children active.

Veggie Run, the award winning Council-created app aimed at educating children about healthy living, and rewarding them and their schools with sporty prizes will also play a key part in encouraging schools to participate in The Daily Mile.

Cllr Robert Benham, Cabinet Member for Education, Children and families, said:

“Through our collaboration with London Marathon Events, supported by Veggie run, we aim to encourage more schools in our borough to sign up for The Daily Mile and support pupils to increase their daily activity during the school day.

“Research has shown children’s physical, social, emotional and mental health improves with increased physical activity.”

Hugh Brasher, London Marathon Events Director, said:

“I am delighted to be working with the team at Havering to get more children involved with The Daily Mile.  We want to inspire activity and help Havering’s primary schoolchildren to become the most physically active in London by inspiring fun, regular activity.  My challenge is for every school in Havering to take part in 15 minutes running or jogging every day, it will make a massive difference to their health – and it helps them to concentrate in the classroom.”

Elaine Wyllie, Founder, The Daily Mile said:

“The Daily Mile is simple and free – it gets children out of the classroom for 15 minutes every day. Everyone can take part – the children an run at their own pace.  I hope every school in Havering signs up to take part and helps their children get fit for learning and fit for life.”

Veggie Run is also rewarding pupils who eat healthy school catered lunches this term. KS2 pupils who eat a school meal from 9 September to 18 October will have the opportunity to win 1 of 60 new bikes from Halfords.  The top six schools with the highest uptake of pupils eating school meals will win class trips to Stubbers Adventure centre.

Pupils who gain a top ten ranking on the Veggie Run leader board will also win a weeks’ worth of catered free lunches every half term.

After receiving over 200 designs from Havering pupils, HES Catering Services are pleased to announce that Lucca from The Mawney Foundation School won  an entire terms worth of free catered lunches this term.  After he successfully designed the first Veggie Run arch enemy, ‘Sugar Cube’.

Veggie Run is back this term, bringing healthy catered lunches every day to Havering primary, infant and junior school as well as lots of new competitions.

KS2 pupils have the opportunity to win one of 60 new bikes from Halfords, simply by eating a catered school lunch until 18 October 2019.

Winners of the SAT Week Bike Competition this week had a surprise visit from our Head of Catering Dennis Brewin to deliver their bikes.

We would like to say Well done to our bike winners, and for those who didn’t win, look out for more competitions with some great prizes

During SATs week all KS2 children who have a school catered lunch will be entered into a competition to win a bike. This is a random draw with the winners announced the following week after the SATs have been completed.

Good luck and remember all you need to do is have a school lunch to have a chance to win

To celebrate Veggie Run’s birthday, HES Catering Services are calling on budding young creative minds to design and draw a Veggie Run arch-enemy. The most captivating design will win one terms of worth of free catered school lunches from September 2019.

This unhealthy arch-enemy character could be something like Kendal Kebab or Freddie Fried Chicken, with the winning character eventually being added to the Veggie Run app. Any Havering primary, infant or junior pupil can enter, they just need to submit:

• Arch-enemy character design
• Character name
• Brief reason as to why the character is unhealthy
• Submit on a A4 piece of paper to either their school kitchen or email to schoolcatering@havering.gov.uk
• Include pupils name, school and class.

Competition is open from 29 April – 24 May and the winner will be announced on the 10 June. If the winning pupil is in KS1, credit will be saved until they enter KS2.

Veggie Run tops 20,000 downloads

To celebrate Veggie Run being downloaded over 20,000 times, Havering Council is rewarding pupils who have supported the healthy living campaign by launching two new exciting competitions.

These competitions will reward pupils who eat healthy school catered lunches and are playing the fun Veggie Run app. To win the first competition game players just need to rank on the Veggie Run leader board by the 22 March to be in with a chance of winning two tickets to watch West Ham United play Everton on Saturday 30 March.

Secondly, Pupils who eat a healthy school catered lunch every Tuesday during March, could win themselves and their parent a free Adventurer day to Stubbers Adventure Centre in Upminster, during May or June. These thrilling outdoor activity days, offer a chance to take part in four activities that may include abseiling, archery, climbing or even a water sport. There are 20 places to be won.

Cllr Robert Benham, Children’s Services, Learning and Education, said:
“It is fantastic news that Veggie Run has now been downloaded over 20,000 times since launching in only April 2018. This is a brilliant opportunity to reward children who are supporting the Councils healthy living campaign by either eating a healthy school catered lunch or playing the fun education Veggie Run app.

“HES Catering Services designed these competitions with the West Ham Foundation and Stubbers Activity Centre as they are passionate about rewarding pupils who eat a healthy school catered lunch in Havering.”

Veggie Run partnered with Stubbers Adventure Centre in January, and has already awarded Benhurst Primary and St Edwards Primary school with a free class trip to Stubbers. As both schools consumed the highest number of healthy school catered lunches before half term. There are still four more class trips to be won during March for any Havering primary, infant or junior school whose pupils eat healthy school lunches.

Veggie Run can still be downloaded from either the App store or Google Play and pupils can easily create an account using their schools unique Four digit code. T

Veggie Run, Havering Councils healthy living campaign for children is pleased to announce a new partnership with Stubbers Adventure Centre in Upminster. This exciting collaboration aims to offer Havering primary, infant and junior pupils increased access to outdoor adventure at the largest activity centre in the Southeast.

To celebrate this partnership Stubbers Adventure Centre has created six bespoke ‘Learning Outside of the Classroom’ activity days for primary, infant or junior schools to be won. The activity days are a great opportunity for children to participate in archery, climbing, bush craft or woodland construction. They are designed to develop children’s independence, confidence and problem solving skills outside of the classroom. To win this class prize, pupils just need to eat a healthy school catered lunch from HES Catering Services.

Cllr Robert Benham, Children’s Services, Learning and Education, said:

“This new partnership from the Council showcases how Veggie Run continues to develop innovative prizes to promote healthy living to Havering children in a fun and educational way. Veggie Run is also partnered with the premiership West Ham United Foundation, and 2400 children are already benefiting from that unique collaboration.

“HES Catering Services designed these competitions as they are  passionate about encouraging pupils to eat a healthy school catered lunch in Havering.

“The Veggie Run app has now been downloaded over 20,000 times and is a brilliant game to encourage children to dodge unhealthy foods and compete to win real sporty prizes for themselves or their school.”

Ben Woodcock, Head of Operations, Stubbers Adventure Centre, said:

“Stubbers is the largest activity centre in the Southeast and are proud to be working with the Councils healthy living Veggie Run campaign. This partnership is a great opportunity for us to create fun and educational outdoor adventure for so many Havering pupils.”

Adam Mannan from Benhurst school was the proud winner of a signed football by the West Ham Unit first team players. Pictured receiving the award by our Head of Catering Dennis Brewin, along with Head teacher David Denchfield and Kitchen Supervisor Susan Drew.

Look out for more news on other winners from this exciting competition later this week