NeverSeconds

Last updated

NeverSeconds
Type of site
 Restaurant review of school meals
Available inEnglish
OwnerMartha Payne, father David Payne
Created by"VEG" an alias of Martha Payne
EditorDavid Payne
Revenue £145,812 via JustGiving to charity Mary's Meals [1]
URL neverseconds.blogspot.co.uk
CommercialNo
Launched30 April 2012;12 years ago (2012-04-30)
Current statusOperational but not updated since 4 February 2014

NeverSeconds is a blog created and run by Scottish schoolgirl Martha Payne in 2012. On it, she expressed her thoughts and experiences of eating school meals at her primary school in Lochgilphead. The blog received a great deal of public attention and international press coverage after the Argyll and Bute Council tried to ban the child from posting photos of the lunchtime meals served at her school. After being used to help raise more than £143,000 of donations to the Mary's Meals charity via JustGiving in support of school feeding programmes for impoverished communities around the world, the blog ceased to be updated after less than two years of operation.

Contents

Description

Launched on 30 April 2012 as a school writing project with assistance from Martha's father David, the blog is written under the pseudonym "VEG" (Veritas Ex Gustu – truth from tasting), with the subtitle "One primary school pupil's daily dose of school dinners". Much like a restaurant review, it features daily entries on the £2 school meal that Martha / "VEG" has chosen that day, her thoughts on the food and its quality, a count of the number of hairs, a health rating, a picture, and marks out of 10 based on a "Food-o-Meter". [2] [3]

Nine-year-old Martha's first full entry on 8 May 2012 featured a picture of a slice of pizza and a single potato croquette, alongside some sweetcorn and a cupcake for dessert. [4] Her written comment was: "The good thing about this blog is Dad understands why I am hungry when I get home. Today he made a Banana Loaf, shame I don't like bananas, see I am not perfect!" [3]

The blog hit local and then national headlines, after gaining support from chef and school meals campaigner Jamie Oliver, who used social networking site Twitter, tweeting "Shocking but inspirational blog. Keep going, big love from Jamie x." [5] The blog had gained 3 million hits by 15 June 2012. [6] In February 2014 it reached 10 million.[ citation needed ] The resultant web traffic generated media interest, [7] with Martha featuring as a guest on BBC Radio 4's You and Yours [8] and later becoming the subject of an edition of Radio 4's The Food Programme. [9] After NeverSeconds went viral, Martha's father met with the school council, which announced that all students would be allowed unlimited servings of fruit, vegetables, and bread. [10]

With the consequential revenue, Martha decided to donate the money to the charity Mary's Meals. Starting with £50 given by a magazine for the publishing rights to her images, for a feature; Martha set an original target in her 19th blog post of £7,000 on JustGiving. [11] By mid-June 2012 more than £90,000 had been raised, which the charity intends to use to build a new kitchen at the 1,963 pupil Lirangwe Primary School in Blantyre, Malawi. [12] [13]

Banning by council

On 14 June 2012, the headteacher told Martha that she should no longer take photographs of her food inside the dining hall. The decision had come down from Argyll and Bute Council, who had become cautious of negative press reaction and the effect it was having on school meals staff. Of particular concern was an article in the Daily Record newspaper, which had published a photograph of Martha alongside chef Nick Nairn under the headline "Time to fire the dinner ladies". [14] [15] In response, Martha wrote an entry titled "Goodbye", explaining the council's decision, followed by a commentary from her father. [11] [16] Human rights group Big Brother Watch called the act "an authoritarian infringement on her civil liberties." [17]

On 15 June, following a storm of protest on the internet, the council issued a press release defending the decision. [18] [19] However, after the intervention of local Scottish National Party MSP and Education Secretary Mike Russell, council leader Roddy McCuish told BBC Radio 4's World at One programme: [6] [13] [15] [20]

There's no place for censorship in Argyll and Bute Council and there never has been and there never will be. I've just instructed senior officials to immediately withdraw the ban on pictures from the school dining hall. It's a good thing to do, to change your mind, and I've certainly done that.

The ban was later cited as a "classic example of local government failing to grasp the power of social media", while BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan-Jones jokingly called the ban "a brilliant scheme to put their region in the west of Scotland on the map." [21] As a result of the controversy, Martha's Just Giving total rose from under £2,000 [17] to more than £40,000 by the afternoon of 15 June, [22] and to £65,000 the following day. By July it stood at £110,412. [23] In November 2014, it was over £143,000. [1] This was described as an example of the Streisand effect. [24]

Awards

Martha Payne has received several awards as a result of her blog:

Related Research Articles

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to meals:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dunoon</span> Town in Scotland

Dunoon is the main town on the Cowal Peninsula in the south of Argyll and Bute, west of Scotland. It is located on the western shore of the upper Firth of Clyde, to the south of the Holy Loch and to the north of Innellan. As well as forming part of the council area of Argyll and Bute, Dunoon also has its own community council. Dunoon was a burgh until 1976.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamie Oliver</span> English chef and restaurateur (born 1975)

Jamie Trevor Oliver MBE OSI is an English celebrity chef, former restaurateur and cookbook author. He is known for his casual approach to cuisine, which has led him to front numerous television shows and open many restaurants.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lochgilphead</span> Town and administrative centre in Scotland

Lochgilphead is a town and former burgh in Argyll and Bute, Scotland, with a population of around 2,300 people. It is the administrative centre of Argyll and Bute Council. The village lies at the end of Loch Gilp and lies on the banks of the Crinan Canal. Lochgilphead sits on the A83, with Ardrishaig 2 miles (3 km) to the south and Inveraray 24 miles (39 km) to the north-east; Oban lies 37 miles (60 km) north on the A816.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ardrishaig</span> Human settlement in Scotland

Ardrishaig is a coastal village on Loch Gilp, at the southern (eastern) entrance to the Crinan Canal in Argyll and Bute in the west of Scotland. It lies immediately to the south of Lochgilphead, with the nearest larger town being Oban.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">School meal</span> Meal provided to students at school

A school meal is a meal provided to students and sometimes teachers at a school, typically in the middle or beginning of the school day. Countries around the world offer various kinds of school meal programs, and altogether, these are among the world's largest social safety nets. An estimated 380 million school children around the world receive meals at their respective schools. The extent of school feeding coverage varies from country to country, and as of 2020, the aggregate coverage rate worldwide is estimated to be 27%.

<i>Jamies School Dinners</i> UK television series

Jamie's School Dinners is a four-episode documentary series that was broadcast on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom from 23 February to 16 March 2005. The series was recorded from Spring to Winter of 2004 and featured British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver attempting to improve the quality and nutritional value of school dinners at Kidbrooke School in the Royal Borough of Greenwich. Oliver's experience on the series led to a broader national campaign called Feed Me Better, aimed at improving school dinners throughout Britain.

Lunch is a meal eaten around the middle of the day. It is commonly the second meal of the day, after breakfast, and varies in size by culture and region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Samuel Chu</span> Hong Kong activist (born 1978)

Samuel Chu Muk Man is a Hong Kong-born American activist and community organizer. Chu is the founder and President of The Campaign for Hong Kong, a US-based nonpartisan organization whose mission is to advocate for American leadership and policies that advance human rights and democracy in Hong Kong. He is also a founding member of the advisory board of the Axel Springer SE Freedom Foundation in Berlin (Germany), a senior advisor to the president and CEO of MAZON: A Jewish Response to Hunger, and a trainer for Midwest Academy, a training school for community organizers in the US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prison food</span> Meals served to prisoners

Prison food is the term for meals served to prisoners while incarcerated in correctional institutions. While some prisons prepare their own food, many use staff from on-site catering companies. Some prisons support the dietary requirements of specific religions, as well as vegetarianism. Prisoners will typically receive a series of standard meals per day from the prison, but in many prisons they can supplement their diets by purchasing additional foods, including snacks and desserts, at the prison commissary with money earned from working in the prison or sent by family and friends.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Argyll and Bute Council</span>

Argyll and Bute Council is one of the 32 local authorities of Scotland, covering the Argyll and Bute council area.

Roderick William "Roddy" McCuish is a Scottish former politician who was an Argyll and Bute Councillor for the Oban South and the Isles ward from 2007 to 2022, having formerly been the leader twice, both with the Scottish National Party (SNP) and later as an independent. On 8 January 2021, it was announced that he had joined the Independence for Scotland Party (ISP), becoming their first representative holding political office until the 2022 Council election, when he did not seek re-election.

The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to cuisines:

Jeanette Orrey, MBE is a British children's food campaigner and former school 'dinner lady' who in 2012 received the MBE for her services to food in schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maurice Corry</span> Scottish politician (born 1950)

Maurice Charles Steuart-Corry TD is a Scottish Conservative Party politician. He was a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) for the West Scotland region from the 2016 Scottish Parliament election until the 2021 election. He is currently the Provost of Argyll & Bute.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Meal</span> Eating that takes place at a specific time

A meal is an eating occasion that takes place at a certain time and includes consumption of food. The names used for specific meals in English vary, depending on the speaker's culture, the time of day, or the size of the meal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ori Shavit</span> Israeli writer and activist

Ori Shavit is an Israeli writer, journalist, blogger, restaurateur, restaurant critic, and animal rights activist. She runs a popular vegan food blog, "Vegan Girls Have More Fun." Shavit has been noted for her workshops and lectures on vegan cooking and her advocacy for animal rights and veganism.

Avery Yale Kamila is an American journalist and community organizer in the state of Maine. Kamila has written a food column for the Portland Press Herald /Maine Sunday Telegram and its affiliated newspapers since 2009.

A vegan school meal or vegan school lunch or vegan school dinner or vegan hot lunch is a vegan option provided as a school meal. A small number of schools around the world serve vegan food or are vegan schools, serving exclusively vegan food.

ProVeg International is a non-governmental organisation that works in the field of food system change and has ten offices globally. The organisation's stated mission is to reduce the consumption of animal products by 50% by 2040, to be replaced by plant-based or cultured alternatives. Instead of increasing the share of vegetarians and vegans, ProVeg's focus is on reducing animal product consumption in the general population.

References

  1. 1 2 "Veg from NeverSeconds". JustGiving. justgiving.com. 17 November 2014. Retrieved 17 November 2014.
  2. ↑ "Eating batteries". NeverSeconds. 30 April 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  3. 1 2 "Girl's school dinner blog becomes internet hit". The Daily Telegraph . 10 May 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  4. ↑ "Tuesday 8th May". NeverSeconds. 30 April 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  5. ↑ "Argyll girl's school lunch blog NeverSeconds is web hit". CBBC Newsround. 15 May 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  6. 1 2 "NeverSeconds blogger Martha Payne school dinner photo ban lifted". BBC Scotland. 15 June 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  7. ↑ Sifferlin, Alexandra (25 May 2012). "9 year-old food blogger takes on school lunch". Time . Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  8. ↑ "School dinner portion sizes". You and Yours. BBC Radio 4. 14 May 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  9. ↑ Dillon, Sheila (16 July 2012). "The extraordinary food story of Martha Payne". BBC Food Programme podcasts & downloads. Retrieved 16 February 2013.
  10. ↑ "9 year-old food critic shakes up school lunches". ABC News. 25 May 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  11. 1 2 Maryn McKenna (14 June 2012). "9-Year-Old Who Changed School Lunches Silenced By Politicians". Wired. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  12. ↑ "Martha". Mary's Meals. 15 June 2012. Archived from the original on 27 January 2013. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  13. 1 2 "Council ban school dinners blogger Martha Payne from taking pictures, then do a U-turn after outcry". Daily Record . 15 June 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  14. ↑ David Taylor (24 May 2012). "Chef Nick Nairn organises think-tank on school meals after seeing Scots schoolgirl's blog". Daily Record . Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  15. 1 2 "Council overturns photography ban on schoolgirl's Never Seconds blog". The Scotsman. 15 June 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  16. ↑ "Goodbye". NeverSeconds. 14 June 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  17. 1 2 Asher McShane (15 June 2012). "Dinner winner!". London Evening Standard . Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  18. ↑ "TwitLonger". peterwalker99 (@peterwalker99). 15 June 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  19. ↑ "Statement on school meals from Argyll and Bute Council". Argyll and Bute Council. 15 June 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  20. ↑ Andrew Hough and Simon Johnson (15 June 2012). "Victory for Martha Payne as Argyll and Bute council backs down on school dinner blog ban". The Daily Telegraph . Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  21. ↑ Rory Cellan-Jones (15 June 2012). "The banning of the blog". BBC News. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  22. ↑ "Never Seconds". JustGiving. 15 June 2012. Retrieved 15 June 2012.
  23. ↑ "NeverSeconds school dinner blog donations soar". BBC News. 16 June 2012. Retrieved 16 June 2012.
  24. ↑ "Martha Payne and the Value of Social Media: When We Become Aware That Others Share Our Opinions And The Streisand Effect", by Tim Worstall (retrieved 15 August 2014)
  25. ↑ McKay, Fiona (23 November 2012). "Martha's dinner book is a big hit". The Herald . Glasgow. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
  26. ↑ Payne, Martha ('Veg') (22 November 2012). "My trip to the Liberty Awards in London". NeverSeconds. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
  27. ↑ "Human Rights Young Person of the Year". Liberty Honours Inspirational Human Rights Leaders in Annual Awards Ceremony (Press release). Liberty (www.liberty-human-rights.org.uk/). 20 November 2012. Retrieved 25 November 2012. For defending free expression when she stood up to her local council after they banned her publishing pictures of schools meals on her blog, NeverSeconds.
  28. ↑ Corp, Natalie (4 October 2013). "Pride of Britain 2013: Jamie Oliver surprises schoolgirl who raised £130,000 to feed Africa's hungry children". Mirror. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
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