Scottish Olympic rugby player Mark Bennett has paid a visit to his old school, St Joseph’s Academy, Kilmarnock, to talk about his sporting success and pass on some tips to pupils.
Mark was selected for Team GB’s rugby squad last year winning a fantastic silver medal in the Rio Olympic Games, beating South Africa and New Zealand along the way.
One of his key messages was healthy eating – and the pupils were quick to point out that they had already embraced this thanks to ‘The Street’ – a superb themed gathering place in the school, where meals can be enjoyed with chit-chat, music and entertainment.
The Street was designed by the pupils as part of a marketing and branding competition with other secondary schools – with the prize being their concept getting turned into reality.
Sponsored by East Ayrshire Council’s Facilities Management Team, the winning St Joseph’s pupils got to work with Totalize Media and will also enjoy a visit to a development kitchen in Covent Garden, London who specialise in Street Food, to give them fresh ideas on how to develop their school facility.
Mark said: “The Street is a brilliant idea and really helps emphasise how important it is to watch what you eat.
“In sport, maintaining the right balance of food is vital for top performance and it’s just the same when it comes to school work! I wish it had been there in my day, as it’s a great idea.”
Councillor Stephanie Primrose, Cabinet Member for Economy and Skills said: “Every year we serve over 1.2 million school meals made with fresh, local ingredients and we encourage children to try new things and appreciate good food.
“Each school has its own arrangements in place to support pupils in making healthy food choices and to help them with the practicalities of lunchtime so that they can fully enjoy their meals.
“The Street is a great concept and gives pupils a place to meet and take time to enjoy their lunch and I’m glad Mark likes the concept.”
The Council has also been working on different ideas to promote the benefit of school meals, with pre-ordering, cashless catering and online payments some of the recent examples of innovation to improve choice and menu options.