Initial UK - Specialists in washroom, cleaning, facilities, and clinical waste services

Croydon Council’s Cashless Schools Success at E-Government National Awards

17/03/2009

Croydon Council has received a prestigious e-Government National Award for an innovative online payment scheme for school meals. The ground-breaking e-Pay Cashless Schools Project, winner in the category of Local e-Government excellence: Take-up & usage growth, was developed in partnership with catering contractor Eden Foodservice and is designed to create a cash-free environment by removing dinner money from Croydon schools.

During the academic year 2008/9, online dinner money collection is expected to climb to in excess of £3.4 million. The project has increased the safety of Croydon’s school children; vastly reduced the time spent on dinner money administration; increased the uptake of both paid and free school meals; and removed cash collection vehicles from the busy streets of Croydon.

When parents send the money directly to the schools it means the children must eat at school, improving their dietary health and allowing parents to monitor what their child has eaten. Furthermore, removing the need for children to carry money enables them to walk the streets more safely, and the scheme has helped curb bullying.

Eden Foodservice, part of Initial Facilities Services, provides catering services to more than 100 primary and secondary schools in the Croydon area, employing 420 people. The company was involved in the development and implementation of the scheme, as well as employing a dedicated trainer to ensure there was no disruption at any of the schools involved when the system went live.

Croydon Council Corporate Catering Manager, Allyson Lloyd commented: “We are delighted to win this award, which recognises the hard work of Croydon Council and its key partners such as Eden Foodservice. The project has improved the sustainability of the school meals service which contributes to the health of children by supplying high quality healthy meals in Croydon schools.”

Simon James, Managing Director of Eden Foodservice said: “We are really pleased that the scheme has received the recognition it deserves. It provides parents with added peace of mind that their children are eating a nutritious meal each day from the school canteen and not being bullied as a result of carrying cash. There is ongoing commitment to continue the success of the project and we expect even greater insight and value moving forward.”

The 2008 e-Government National Awards are the UK's highest level commendation for the best e-Government and technology-driven services - services which, through innovative online delivery or IT implementation, have positively transformed the lives of citizens, local communities, businesses and stakeholder groups. The winners were presented with their awards at a glittering black tie dinner at the City of London's Guildhall by Cabinet Minister Tom Watson MP, and Government CIO John Suffolk.

ENDS

 
News RHS image