NABMA has received a copy of a publication from Sefton Health Improvement Support Services under the banner headline of “A Guide to Running a Successful Playground Market”.

The publication states that a playground market is exactly as it sounds – a market held by a school in their playground where they sell fresh fruit and vegetables to the local community at the end of the school day. The market is proposed to be held several times a year and invites parents, staff and local community members to attend and pick up good quality fresh fruit and vegetables, where access is poor or non existent.

The market can be held in the playground of the school and will allow parents/guardians collecting their children to purchase fresh fruit and vegetables without a separate trip to the shops and to illustrate that fresh produce does not always have to be expensive.

It is possible to applaud any new initiative that raises the profile of fresh food. There are elements to this proposal that give cause for concern and before considering whether a response to this publication is required, it would be helpful to know whether other authorities around the country are encountering similar initiatives from their local/regional NHS.