Press
What the media have to say about the 2005 Back To The Table Campaign
ITV's This Morning Oct 14 2005
'We use [dinner time] as the discussion time. It's when you can coax things out of the children, ask about their day. They're eating and there's no pressure. It's an important time of day for us.' Philip Schofield discusses the launch of the 2005 Campaign.
BBC Online May 2005
According to the 2004 National Family Mealtime Survey, 20% of those asked sat down to eat together just once a week or less. The poll, by parenting organisation Raisingkids.co.uk, found children often had meals alone in their bedrooms while watching TV or playing computer games. Of those who did eat together, TV was the preferred dinner guest, with 75% eating while watching it. Child psychologist and parenting expert Dr Pat Spungin, founder of Raisingkids.co.uk, says the benefits of family meals are far-reaching, often surprising and should not be underestimated. The organisation is running a Back to the Table campaign to get families eating together again.
Quote Of Week - The Times 23 July 2005
'He has a lot to answer for. It's a terrible invention as far as family life is concerned' Pat Spungin, founder of the Back to the Table campaign, is not mourning the death of Gerry Thomas, the inventor of the TV dinner
.and the 2004 Back To The Table campaign
The Guardian - 21/09/04
Once, not so long ago, Britain was a country where families gathered around the table at meal times to eat and talk to each other. But families are now abandoning their dining tables and becoming more like the fictional and lazy Royle Family who eat their meals supine on their sofa with the TV droning on in the background. A survey of parents found that 20% of British families said they sat down to eat together once a week or less frequently. Children often had meals in their bedrooms while watching TV or playing computer games.
The Western Mail 28/09/04
Older readers will no doubt be astonished to hear that modern families, who sit down to eat together at mealtimes, are now such a rarity that it happens just once a week in a fifth of homes. A new survey, published by parenting website www.raisingkids.co.uk reveals that even when families do eat together, 75% of UK families watch TV while they eat.
Scottish Daily Express
We're turning into a nation of couch-potato Royle Families who only eat together on the sofa in front of the TV, according to a new survey.
Evening Standard - 20/09/04
Raisingkids.co.uk is promoting a shared family meals with a Back To the Table campaign starting today. It will offer tips on how to encourage more quality time including setting a realistic target of three to four meals a week.
BBC Parenting Magazine - November 2004
A recent survey has found that one in five UK families eats together only once a week, preferring instead to eat in front of the television The survey by Raisingkids.co.uk is part of its Back To The Table campaign urging families to share more quality time together around the dinner table.
