The event also marks health4schools’ success in reaching its target of 100 Gloucestershire schools (a total of 24,000 pupils), which have each received support worth £5,000.

health4schools is funded by Cheltenham-based Kraft Foods and supported by partners including Gloucestershire County Council and Gloucestershire Primary Care Trust. The programme helps schools to undertake activities that enable pupils to learn about good diet and exercise.

The celebration event features 22 schools displaying vegetables they have grown, healthy recipes they have designed and cooked, as well as active play ideas they have put in place.

Nine schools are to be awarded National Healthy Schools Status, which marks their achievement of the government’s National Healthy Schools Standard. In many cases this achievement has been aided by the school’s participation in the health4schools programme.

Nick Bunker, VP and managing director of Kraft Foods, the company behind the health4schools programme says, “The celebration event marks the achievements of the previous year of health4schools and allows all partners involved in the project to see first hand the positive impact it is having on schools across the county. We’re all extremely proud to have reached our target of 100 schools and are looking forward to the next phase of the programme.”

Peter Bungard, chief executive of Gloucestershire County Council says, “health4schools is a great example of what can happen through partnership. That more than 24,000 Gloucestershire children have been reached by the programme is real cause for celebration.

Going forward, health4schools is extending its remit to take on the wider issue of sustainability and is launching a new phase in which it will fund schools to help children learn about the importance of issues such as sustainable food production, energy and water conservation and waste reduction.