A CHARITY is calling on schools in East Lancashire to help it rate the state of the nation’s school kitchen facilities.

The Children’s Food Trust has launched a campaign to gather the first, comprehensive picture of kitchen infrastructure in schools - to make sure facilities are in shape to deliver on the aims of the national School Food Plan.

Research by the charity estimates that around 73 per cent of primary schools have full production kitchens, while almost 16 per cent either have to get hot food transported from elsewhere or have only a cold food service*.

However, the charity says it’s working with schools whose kitchens are too small, too old or which rely on equipment which is out of date, and that the vast majority of schools it talks to have at least some issues with kitchen kit, layout or size.

It’s calling on schools to join a national school kitchen survey, to help gather better data from across the country.

Chairman and chef, Rob Rees, said: “We’ve worked with lots of schools over the years where catering teams are coping with kitchen facilities that aren’t up to the job because of their age, their size, their layout or their equipment – costing schools when it comes to time and fuel.

"To join in the census visit www.childrensfoodtrust.org.uk/schoolkitchens13.