Deadly Tuckshop: Free Feed Fridays

In Queensland, food insecurity is made worse by geographical isolation and particularly impacts Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in remote communities . It's estimated up to 31% of this demographic experiences food insecurity. Remote communities in North Queensland are twice as likely to experience food insecurity compared to communities in Brisbane. There's a range of factors that contribute to this, including weather events, adequate infrastructure and economic opportunity. 

One school in North Queensland has an initiative in place to help their community address these issues and improve the health outcomes for the children and their community. 

In 2024, Normanton State School implemented a Free Feed Friday initiative to address food insecurity issues and help improve health outcomes for their children and their community.

In this episode, we talk to Tonia, the Principal of Normanton State School, and Gillian, Tuckshop Convener of Deadly Tuckshop about how they rolled out the initiative and how successful it has been.

This podcast is proudly brought to you by the Queensland Association of School Tuckshops and funded by the Queensland Government through Health and Wellbeing Queensland.

Transcript

Naomi Blines 0:08  

Hello everyone, my name is Naomi and you’re listening to the Talking Healthier Tuckshops podcast, the show that talks all things school tuckshops. 

This podcast is proudly brought to you by the Queensland Association of School Tuckshops and is funded by the Queensland Government through Health and Wellbeing Queensland.

From the health of your kids and family, to your own well-being and happiness, we’ll explore topics that matter to you, giving you easy ways to implement them in your tuckshop and your day-to-day life.

Naomi Blines 0:52  

The Queensland Association of School Tuckshops acknowledges the traditional owners and custodians of the lands across Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to elder’s past, present and emerging, and extend respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.

Naomi Blines 1:13  

We recognise that Aboriginal peoples and Torres Strait Islander peoples each have their own unique languages, beliefs, cultural practices, traditions and diversity within each culture. We are recording this podcast today from Meanjin, traditional land of the Turrbal people.

Naomi Blines  1:38  

All Queenslanders deserve access to affordable, fresh and healthy food that meets their dietary needs, along with cultural preferences.  They also need reliable access, the ability to safely store, prepare and consume food, and all this is critical to a healthy diet. Without this, poor dietary intake increases the risk of chronic health issues, including increased weight, obesity, diabetes, heart disease and poor mental health and wellbeing. 

In Queensland, food insecurity is made worse by geographical isolation and particularly impacts Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people living in remote communities where it's estimated up to 31% of this demographic experiences food insecurity. Remote communities in North Queensland are twice as likely to experience food insecurity compared to communities in Brisbane. There's a range of factors that contribute to this, including weather events, adequate infrastructure and economic opportunity. 

One school in North Queensland has an initiative in place to help their community address these issues and improve the health outcomes for the children and their community. It is with great delight that I introduce our guests today, Tonia, the Principal of Normanton State School, and Gillian, Tuckshop Convener of Deadly Tuckshop, which is also located at Normanton State School. Welcome ladies. 

Tonia Smerdon  3:07  

Thank you. Hello. 

Naomi Blines  3:08  

Hello. For those unaware, Normanton is located on the western side of the Gulf of Carpentaria. Population is approximately 1,500 people, though this fluctuates. Normanton State School is a Prep to Year 10 school and currently has about 160 enrolments. I'll start with you. Tonia, can you tell us a little bit about your school and community?

Tonia Smerdon  3:32  

Sure. So, Normanton State School is a remote school, and we are in a rural community, and the school is the hub of the community. We employ approximately 50 staff members, and we have generations of students that have come through. So, I've been here for a number of years. I've taught the parents of the students that we currently have, and the main priority for our school is to have students here on time and ready for learning each and every day. So, part of what we do is work closely with organisations and agencies in our communities to have students and families ready for school. And we have a lot of great support from these organisations to encourage the best outcomes for our students. 

Naomi Blines  4:16  

Excellent! In 2024 you started a Free Feed Friday initiative.  Can you tell us a little bit about this program and what inspired you to start it?

Tonia Smerdon  4:28  

So, we'd been looking at data and student attendance for quite a while, and Fridays were often the day that students were not attending... and for a number of reasons, but a lot of those reasons were that students didn't have enough money for food by the end of the week, or a meal to have before they came to school. So, we were offered some funding for a food program, and after looking at the data and talking with students, parents and the community, we decided that offering a free meal was one way of encouraging better attendance and better outcomes. We also saw the need to have a breakfast program at our school for students who may not have eaten before they came to school. So that's when we implemented Free Feeds on Friday, and the breakfast program.

Naomi Blines  5:13  

Excellent. How did you access the funding to support you deliver this program?

Tonia Smerdon  5:19  

So initially, we had to put in an application through a State Government food program. I wrote a submission, had to enter some data, and we talked with people about what we should put in the submission. So, it was looking at facilities, looking at resources, consumables, and a whole range of things that we would need for the serving of the meals.

Naomi Blines  5:39  

So, there are plenty of grant opportunities available. Some of them are through the State Government. There's also quite a few that are available through local business chambers or private enterprise that other tuckshops can look into. I've also seen some funding opportunities available through local councils or those business chambers that tuckshops can tap into as well. I guess it's just knowing where to look and when. So, has this program achieved the results that you expected?

Tonia Smerdon  6:13  

I think we're getting more students attend on a Friday, and especially from some of the families that we were targeting to ensure that students had lunch on those particular days. We know that the students are now coming in, especially to order their Free Feed early. And the other fortunate thing as part of this program is that we sometimes have excess meals that the tuckshop ladies have cooked, and we're able to freeze those and use them at a later date as well. So, we're very happy with that Free Feed program that we have on Fridays, because it allows us to have excess food for other days of the week. But also, the fruit program is good of a morning because we know then that our students have had a meal before they go into class.

Naomi Blines  6:58  

Yeah, excellent. I really love your commitment of being on time and ready to learn.  It's an all-encompassing phrase that covers so much, which is a great ambition to have when kids are coming to school. So, have there been other unexpected impacts of this program?

Tonia Smerdon  7:21  

I think the main impact has been, obviously, that kids are getting fed, that they're having a meal on Fridays, but it's been a really positive thing for our school. A lot of talk about it in the community, we put lots of photos up on our Facebook page. We get positive comments from people coming through the community that look at the Facebook page, people will then put the Facebook page onto our community page, and we get lots of positive comments there as well. So that's been a very good promotion for our school, so that people are aware that our students don't go hungry, that we're able to make sure all students have a meal on a Friday, but can also have breakfast when they come in. So that positive promotion of the school has been very important.

Naomi Blines  8:07  

Has there been school or community members or elders who have helped drive the success of the initiative?

Tonia Smerdon  8:15  

The entire school community is a part of the program and is behind the program. So, each Friday morning, all of the staff remind students to place their orders. We have parents that come in with their children and do their ordering to ensure that they're not missing out on their free meal. This tuckshop staff are obviously doing a great job offering a variety of meals, serving up the meals, working with the rest of the school staff to ensure all of the students are getting their food on time. But we also send out SMS and Facebook reminders on a Friday morning so that the entire community are aware. So, if students aren't staying at home with their parents, their grandparents may receive a Facebook reminder. And we also get newsletter items and things like that, sent out regularly with photographs in there as well. So, we're trying to promote it so that all of the community are aware of this, the organisations that may come in and work with our school, as well as parents, community and visitors to our school.

Naomi Blines  9:14  

Yep, excellent. It's a real team effort on behalf of everyone. So, we might move over to Gillian now. Can you tell us about some of the meals that you prepare for Free Feed Fridays?

Gillian Smerdon  9:29  

We do menu choices like meatballs and spaghetti, pulled chicken or beef gravy rolls, sausages, rice and gravy, chicken parmigiana and salad, and hot dogs.  We try and change it up so they're having a little bit of across-the-board food they're familiar with,  and new foods being introduced.

Naomi Blines  9:51  

Yeah, excellent. And how well have the new foods been introduced? How have they been accepted?

Gillian Smerdon  9:58  

Yeah, really well. They've always enjoyed their fresh fruit. We slowly introduced changes alternating between those menu items. I guess the routine of them getting that free feed, the excitement and the talk around it, and then, you know, having the different options familiar one week, not so much the next, they will still at least try it. Meals are full of vegetables that we grate and cook so they're more disguised than what they'd be used to.

Naomi Blines  10:35  

Yep, fantastic. I love the idea of rotating or trying something new with something familiar. It just keeps everybody interested, but it also gives kids that opportunity to try something new. So, what are your most popular meals would you say?

Gillian Smerdon  10:56  

Definitely pasta bake. We do a hidden veggie pasta bake, and definitely the pulled chicken and gravy rolls.

Naomi Blines  11:05  

Excellent. I love that the healthy meals are just as popular as the hot dogs. So how has the program been embraced by students and their families?

Gillian Smerdon  11:16  

Students are excited and they want to know each week what's on the menu. They are also very honest in their feedback, and they will ask us to cook a certain meal... "When are we having pasta bake again?" The families also embrace the program, knowing that their children can have fruit on arrival to school, and everyone is able to access that Free Feed on a Friday. It's one less lunch for families to pack and that they know that meals are tasty, filling and nutritious.

Naomi Blines  11:51  

Excellent. I guess change in any circumstance or situation can be difficult. However, small, sustainable changes that are communicated well and is responsive to what the community needs are more likely to be accepted, which is wonderful. One of the pillars of this program is that all students, regardless of circumstance, can access a hot meal on Fridays. How do you cater for different dietary needs and preferences? 

Gillian Smerdon  12:18  

Our school's small, so we quickly get to know which students have dietary requirements and preferences. So, we can adjust meals for students. In particular the texture issues, religious or cultural requirements or allergies. So, for example, we can adjust the pasta bake to make it vegetarian, and remove the gravy from the chicken rolls, and swap in other proteins if we need to. It's also very important to be inclusive and simple changes provide this.

Naomi Blines  12:49  

Yep, excellent. The statistics tell us that Queensland children are still not eating enough fruit and vegetables. Your school is actively improving this with your school community, with this initiative.  Can you tell us some of the other things that you're doing? I think we kind of might have already covered it in terms of fruit, hiding some veggies... is there anything else that you'd do? 

Gillian Smerdon  13:13  

I guess, going back to the fruit, this is provided each day for breakfast, so we recently purchased a slinky maker, and this has increased the apple intake. Slinkies, they make it easier to eat the apples, and some kids can't eat a whole apple, and may have issues with loose teeth or dental issues, so slinky apples are a winner.

Naomi Blines  13:35  

Excellent. The Slinky Apple such a simple idea, isn't it? But in tuckshops all over the state, it's such a popular item, it's wonderful. Have you noticed a change in general tuckshop ordering since this initiative in terms of what children order on other days of the week?

Gillian Smerdon  13:52  

General Friday orders are reduced in the tuckshop, given that they do have a main meal on their first break. I have also noticed that the kids are more likely to opt for a healthier choice and will try foods that they're not familiar with.

Naomi Blines  14:08  

So given its remoteness, Normanton is no stranger to food supply issues.  Rain and the wet season can see you guys cut off from regular food deliveries for up to eight weeks. How do you plan and operate a tuckshop when supply issues can be so common? 

Gillian Smerdon  14:25  

Organisation and planning, that’s important. We also are flexible and adjust at the last minute if something is not available.  The wet season menu is planned around stock availability, and we have access to local shops, as well as buying in bulk when necessary.  The two local shops have supplies transported from Cairns, 800 kilometres away, and Brisbane, 2,500 kilometres away, so we can't always access what is on the menu. You know, if there's a road closure or weather events, Normanton can be isolated by road during the wet season, and delays can occur when severe weather events impact the East Coast.

Naomi Blines  15:06  

Yeah, that's so true. So, I guess having a good working relationship with those local suppliers is essential to be able to continue operating the tuckshop efficiently and effectively. And I guess the freight also adds about 20% more to the cost of food items in those remote areas. And so being able to use what you have and not waste anything is definitely even more essential when you're paying more for the price of that food as well as it's coming through. So, questions for either of you, feel free. Either of you can chip in and answer these. Has there been challenges in delivering this initiative? And if so, how did you overcome them?

Tonia Smerdon  15:55  

I think, as Gillian said, the organisation is the important part. So, knowing that wet seasons coming up, being organised. Obviously, price is a problem at times. We're very fortunate here for a number of our shops, there is actually a freight reduction fee that we get when we shop locally. So, there is a 20% reduction in our costings if we purchase locally. So, we try to do that and support the local shops as well. The size of the tuckshop is a bit of an issue. It's not a commercial kitchen; it's a small tuckshop. So having to produce, you know, 100 meals on a Friday is sometimes an issue. And the ladies have worked out a system. We've purchased more air fryers; we’ve got a range of different cooking equipment now that makes it easier for the production of that amount of food. There are other issues also that affect things, such as power outages. So, over the wet season, we will often have power outages, freezers going out, that type of thing. So, we need to be very aware of those things, even on holidays. The school has purchased a small generator, and someone has to come in and put the generator on for the freezers and that type of thing. It's good to be prepared. It's good to have orders in ahead of time. However, we need to realise that if there's a power outage for over 24 hours or 48 hours, and we haven't got the generators working and can't keep things frozen, then there's food wastage. So, it's a bit of a catch 22 at times.  You want to stock up before wet season, but you also need to ensure that food is stored safely.

Naomi Blines  17:35  

Yeah. Excellent. What are some of the wins that you've had during the delivery of this program?

Tonia Smerdon  17:42  

Mainly knowing that every child can have breakfast and that they're not going to go into class hungry, because there are a range of circumstances and reasons why kids may come to school without food... And it may be the fact that they've got up early and come before their parents or family members are out of bed. It may be that there was no food in the house or that the bread was, you know, had run out or something like that. So, our children really like fruit. They enjoy fresh fruit. Having that fruit there for them is a really good option. Also, the fact that the students are getting the opportunity to taste different foods and to sit in a social setting and eat their meal. So, using a knife and fork sitting around socially, eating. The other wins, I think, in positives, is that there are lots of health issues in our community. So, you know, diabetes and obesity, a range of other health issues. So, encouraging healthy eating at school, showing the kids what options there are, is a way that we can contribute to a better future for our students and a better outcome.

Naomi Blines  18:45  

Yeah, that's wonderful. So, in closing, addressing food insecurity is multi-factorial. There are many elements at play. Despite this, the Free Feed Friday initiative seeks to address both availability and access to healthy food, which in turn brings a positive impact on learning, increased community engagement and improves the health of a community. 

Naomi Blines  19:09  

Thank you, Tonia and Gillian, for joining me and for all that you do for your school and your community. It's been wonderful to listen and learn about this initiative; you're doing a fantastic job, and your school community is very lucky to have such passionate and invested leaders and staff to have the foresight and drive to deliver this initiative. So, thank you. 

Tonia Smerdon  19:34  

Thank you very much. 

Naomi Blines 19:35  

The Talking Healthier Tuckshops Podcast is proudly produced by the team at QAST and made possible thanks to funding from the Queensland Government through Health and Wellbeing Queensland.  Visit qast.org.au to learn more about other program opportunities, and for the latest tuckshop tips, advice and ideas.