Boosting Beans

Veg Power and The Food Foundation have secured a grant from the National Lottery to fully fund a programme in 750 primary schools with an emphasis on lower income communities.

  • Programme starts on 3rd November 2025.
  • Programme runs for three years through to the end of term in June/July 2028.
  • Veg Power will be working with school caterers to increase the frequency of beans on the menu throughout the year.
  • There will be a strong feature period in November each year, but there will be activities and resources throughout the year.
  • Over the three years we will move through three phases:
    Year 1 – Try Beans – all about getting kids to try beans
    Year 2 – Explore Beans – introduce more variety
    Year 3 – Love Beans – encourage greater frequency

For the 750 National Lottery funded schools, Veg Power will supply the following physical resources:

  • Rolls of participation stickers for lunchtime teams to hand out at bean-themed lunch events – Veg Power will provide enough for three whole-school bean-themed lunch events. A fresh set of the same designs will be sent again each year.
  • A set of A4 decoration packs for the lunch area, one set per school. These are intended to be used for the three years, though Veg Power will allow for some replacement of lost or damaged decoration sets.
  • A4 posters to notify parents. These are intended to be used for the three years, though we will allow for some replacement of lost or damaged posters.
  • Reward charts and sticker sheets for each pupil to take home each November.

 

In addition, Veg Power will create a series of digital resources available for other schools:

  • A guide to the programme for teachers will be available on the website.
  • A school assembly.
  • A mobile-friendly digital flyer to send to parents to engage and inform them and direct them to the resources we have to support families.
  • Curriculum supporting lesson plans and classroom activities for different year groups.

Recognising that dietary habits are primarily formed at home, we complement our positive school experiences by empowering parents and carers to improve their children's nutrition.

 

To learn more or to register your school's interest, please visit the Veg Power registration page. This is free.