KIDS SET TO GO BANANAS FOR LIB DEM FREE FRUIT PLAN

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 19th May 2009

Hundreds of Sheffield school children are to be given free fruit and vegetables every day thanks to the local Liberal Democrats. Over 800 pupils, from three Sheffield schools, will begin receiving free fruit at school thanks to Sheffield's Healthy Towns Programme, led by NHS Sheffield in partnership with Lib Dem Sheffield City Council. The pilot scheme will offer pupils fruit and vegetables including strawberries, sugar snap peas, apples, bananas, pears and carrots. And if the pilot is successful, it will be rolled out to hundreds of young people across Sheffield within the next two years.

Year 7 pupils from Westfield, City and Sheffield Park Academy schools will take part in the pilot to establish whether offering free fruit to pupils aged 11 and 12 increases their uptake of fruit and vegetables, contributing towards 5 A DAY.

Cllr Andrew Sangar, Sheffield City Council's Liberal Democrat Cabinet Member for Children's Services and Lifelong Learning, said: "Childhood obesity is a problem that is affecting the whole country, not just here in Sheffield. But we need to make sure we are doing what we can in this city to make our children as healthy as possible and personally speaking I think this is a fantastic way forward."