By Madison McNair

Food Committee Student Leaders are in the unique position to make a difference to the dining experiences here in school. Meeting every half term to discuss the food served in school at our fabulous canteen, Peppers, Food Committee Student Leaders work collaboratively with their peers, Sixth Form Leaders and staff to create real change. They tackle a mix of issues covering any problems faced by their peers and idea development based on student feedback and drive change to represent the voice of their fellow diners. 

‘Each for all’ is the first part of our school’s motto, with all girls being given the opportunity to serve others. Upon joining Wakefield Girls’ in year 7, I took my first steps to serve by joining the school’s Food Committee, one of the many leadership roles offered. It was an intriguing prospect at such an early stage in my journey through school, being able to meet with other committee members to discuss the school’s menu, to try to shape the way in which the whole student body had their nutritional needs met. 

Being a part of the Food Committee was a very rewarding experience, it really felt like I was making a difference, that I had a voice. It enabled me to improve my communication and social skills, as part of the role was to talk to fellow students in my form group and get feedback from them about the menu choices available. This was then fed back in turn to the catering team so any improvements or amendments could be made. 

In this blog, Food Committee Leaders, Sophie, Amelia, Eleanor, Mikaela and Hareem share their experiences.

Why did you choose to be a Student Food Committee Leader

Being a Food Committee Leader is very important to me as I can help my fellow students by getting their feedback and opinions and use this to bring about improvements so everyone enjoys a variety of good food to eat and appreciate.

What have you enjoyed most about being a  Student Food Committee Leader ?

I love the feeling when you know you have an impact on school life in a visible way, and that is something I have experienced firsthand being a Food Committee Leader.  The meetings are very fun because you get to work with people from year 7 to 13 to represent the whole student body, creating change that everyone is happy about. 

How do you get involved as a Food Committee Leader ?

Speak to your Form Tutor about joining. Being a Food Committee Leader shows that Year 7 have a voice and that they can say their opinions, as well as all the students in older year groups.  Being part of the food committee has helped get my ideas across and also has really helped me to listen to other people’s ideas.

What are the highlights of the role ?

I love food, voicing my opinions and being the voice of my class. I love that school gives us so many opportunities to share our opinions and teaches us how to be heard and make the changes we’d like to see happen.

What projects have you been involved in as Student Food Committee Leaders?

After being a Food Committee Student Leader for 2 years, I enjoy developing links with other Student Leaders in school.  I particularly enjoyed teaming up with peers who are leaders in the Eco Committee, to organise a meat-free day to reduce our carbon footprint.

We were recently engaged in the review of the catering provision in school –  including a highlight sampling of different catering choices  ! We played a big part in the appointment of Holroyd Howe as our new catering partner.