A 10-year old girl from Greater Manchester who wanted to introduce Meat Free Monday to her school has gone one step further and encouraged her education authority to roll out MFM across the whole borough.

Lyla Springate and her friends Sreeja Bhowmick and Eva Sarah Patten – who call themselves the Planet Savers – started a petition to garner support for meat free food to be served at their primary school, The Firs, in Sale, Cheshire, on Mondays. After getting an overwhelmingly positive response, they sent a letter to Trafford education authority, suggesting it “roll out Meat Free Mondays in schools across Trafford”. It jumped at the chance to give pupils in its area a healthier and more environmentally-friendly start to the week. Now Lyla says: “I feel like I changed the world!”

The young meat free eater came up with the idea of pushing for a Meat Free Monday at her school after being asked to do a project on a famous person. She chose Linda McCartney, the late wife of MFM founder Paul McCartney, and her research led her to the campaign set up by Paul and his daughters, Mary and Stella. “I thought it was a good idea and I decided to bring it to my school,” Lyla says.

While The Firs’ head teacher, Mrs Hitchcock, was supportive, she explained that the council had the final say on changing school meals. Undeterred, the girls set up the petition, which received 115 signatures, and also bravely made a presentation in assembly, standing up in front of friends and teachers to explain the issues around meat eating, the importance of reducing our consumption and how each of those present could make a difference. Using facts gleaned from the MFM website, the Planet Savers explained in their letter to the authorities about greenhouse gases, waster wastage and biodiversity and species loss, and stressed that: “reducing your meat intake is one of the single most significant things you can do to help the environment.”

https://www.meatfreemondays.com/schoolgirl-campaigner-brings-mfm-school/