With thanks to The Darlington & Stockton Times2The

FREE SCHOOL MILK

CHILDREN at a village school near Darlington lapped up the chance to enjoy free school milk again.

The 95 youngsters at High Coniscliffe CE Primary School each received a free 250ml carton of organic full milk from Acorn Dairy at Garthorne Farm, Archdeacon Newton, near Darlington, as part of National School Milk Week.

Graham Tweddle, of Acorn Dairy, a former pupil of the school, said: "There is a drive by the Dairy Council to get dairies to supply free milk for a day to promote getting it back into schools. At the moment, we supply Ravensworth School because it is funding it itself. We would dearly love to supply every school in Darlington, but the bureaucracy behind school milk makes claiming the European subsidy and ticking all the boxes to get that back to the LEA almost too problematic. There is a 3pence per carton subsidy, but the LEAs is putting a 2pence administration charge on, so that virtually cancels it out."

The school's head teacher, Tom Lumley, said the organic milk had gone down well with his pupils. He added: "We are looking to introduce milk for the children, but we would have to ask the parents to contribute towards the cost."

Six-year-old Bradley Spinks and Holly Cummings, aged five, were clearly impressed with organic milk. They both agreed they would like to have it every day. Holly said: "I like it; it's nicer than the one we have at home." Bradley added: "It's nice and it tastes different to the other milk."

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