Free meals are slowly returning to first and primary schools in Dorset.

All Key Stage 1 children are eligible as are some Key Stage 2 children.

Declan O’Toole of Forerunner Catering, which works across the BCP and Dorset Council areas, says it’s vital that children receive healthy and hot food as winter approaches.

Since schools returned, most pupils have been eating packed lunches as staff learned to manage the children in their class or year group ‘bubbles’.

Declan said, “Schools have worked hard with us to make it happen. Everyone is taking great care to abide by the social distancing restrictions, and it is working well.

“We anticipate more schools returning to hot meals in January and the feedback we’ve had from those which have already re-introduced them has been extremely positive.”

Burton C of E Primary School headteacher Alison Timmings said, “We thoroughly enjoyed the packed lunches that Forerunner provided for the first half term but with the weather getting colder we wanted to make sure the children had a hot nutritious meal option each day.”

Jeremy Payne from St James C of E Primary Academy in Boscombe said, “Restarting hot meals has been an important step back to something approaching normality for our children.”

As well as providing packed lunches and hot meals, Forerunner is providing hampers for those free school meal children who are forced to stay at home.