Rovers selected by NDC to pilot new approach to school milk scheme
The National Dairy Council is to pilot a new approach to promoting the School Milk Scheme. It sees the introduction of an innovative partnership between the NDC and the Football Association of Ireland (FAI eircom League of Ireland) which provides a combined focus on nutrition and the role of milk as part of a balanced diet; and on exercise as part of a balanced and healthy lifestyle.
The initial series of pilot programmes will run in a selection of primary and secondary schools in counties Sligo, Donegal, Monaghan, Dublin and Limerick. The unique partnership will see Club Promotion Officers for the FAI (eircom League of Ireland) developing a network with dairy co-op members in each region.
In Sligo, this will involve officers from Sligo Rovers Football Club working in co-operation with Connacht Gold Co-op and the National Dairy Council.
Visits will be made to a selection of schools which will include soccer player visits with real sporting engagement and discussions on exercise and sports performance. Classes will also have presentations by Club Promotion Officers on the benefits of dairy consumption, within the context of a healthy and balanced diet, based on the nutritional expertise of the National Dairy Council.
The pilot phase is expected to run from October to December 2008 and will then be reviewed and assessed in the context of the feasibility of expanding the promotional programme nationwide.
Sligo County Council Leas-Cathaoirleach, Cllr Deirdre Healy-McGowan, attended the announcement of Sligo’s pilot programme at The Showgrounds in Sligo. The launch was attended by Helen Brophy (Chief Executive) and Tara McHugh (School Milk Co-ordinator) National Dairy Council; Aaron Forde (Chief Executive) Connacht Gold Co-op and John Byrne, Director of Special Projects with the Football Association of Ireland. Sligo Rovers was represented by Manager Paul Cook and Club Promotions Officer Keith O’Dwyer.
The School Milk Scheme itself has operated in Ireland for just over 26 years, making milk available to school children at a discounted price. The number of schools that participate in the programme has more or less remained constant in that time (ref 1). However there has been a significant fall off in participation by pupils in the scheme (ref 2).
In simple terms, the market place has become very competitive with the newer and heavily advertised products such as soft drinks, isotonic drinks, fruit juices, mineral water etc. In 2003 the Obesity Taskforce report estimated that 37% of Irish children drink fizzy drinks at least once daily in the 10 to 17 age group.
Newer Irish research tells us that a significant proportion of teenagers do not have adequate calcium intake and that nearly one third of Irish adults (29%) do not consume the basic “three servings of dairy a day” recommended by the Irish Department of Health & Children for health and wellbeing (refs 3 & 4)
The National Dairy Council is now aiming to increase participation in the Irish School Milk Scheme in order to help to combat the gap in dairy consumption - but also to build awareness from childhood and through the teenage years, of the importance of dairy as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.
Helen Brophy, Chief Executive of the National Dairy Council, explains that Ireland has traditionally tended to lag behind Europe in terms of performance in the School Milk Scheme.
As an example of more recent figures, the School Milk Scheme in Ireland accounts for an estimated 0.8% of total national consumption whereas - for example - in Finland, it accounts for 5% of national consumption.
2,360 schools with approximately 85,000 pupils are currently participating in Ireland’s School Milk Scheme. As part of its current 5 year strategy, The National Dairy Council is aiming to increase participation in the Irish School Milk Scheme by 30% before 2012 by increasing pupil participation at primary level and also introducing more secondary schools to the programme.
SUPPORT, COMMITMENT AND ENCOURAGEMENT NEEDED
“The School Milk Scheme needs strong Government support and, with a lot of logistics, demands serious commitment from dairies in Ireland as well as the NDC,” says Helen Brophy. “However, the School Milk Scheme has a new and significant relevance, in terms of influencing dietary habits and thereby helping alleviate the obesity epidemic, which is facing Irish society.”
“Children and teenagers need all the encouragement they can get to switch to healthier snacking habits and to get back to the basics of the Food Pyramid with more regularly balanced diets,” says Helen Brophy.
Speaking in Sligo, John Byrne, Director of Special Projects with the FAI, said that the FAI is delighted to be working alongside the National Dairy Council. “To do so fits in perfectly with our ethos, which is that sport is more than just a game, it is also about a healthy and active life,” said Mr. Byrne.
“Football is the largest participation sport in Ireland, with 450,000 people involved across all age levels. From the schools match in the local park, through to the professional side of the game as is played here in the Showgrounds, football has an enormous role to play in the promotion of a healthy lifestyle,” said Mr Byrne.
“Sport is a terrific vehicle for social change and we believe that this can only be enhanced by teaming up with an organisation such as the National Dairy Council. This partnership will be rolled-out with the help of the Club Promotion Officers, who are co-funded by the FAI and eircom League of Ireland clubs to promote football in the community.
“These CPOs, including Keith O’Dwyer here in Sligo, do fantastic work in helping to promote a range of health and civic issues to young people. Campaigns run by CPOs to date have focused on anti-racism messages and healthy eating. Today, we are delighted to launch the next phase of that, which involves the promotion of dairy products.”
Mr. Byrne concluded by saying the FAI was looking forward to working with the NDC over the coming months and was looking forward to bringing the message of health and sport to the country’s young.
