QAST provides a professional, responsive and proactive membership organisation with strong alliances with government, industry and like-minded organisations. Everyday QAST is busy with;
· Answering questions and offering advice
· Writing newsletters and fact sheets
· Attending meetings to promote QAST and advocate for all school food services
· Developing and reviewing new resources
· Selling useful tuckshop merchandise
· Maintaining an informative website
· Presenting workshops and training to a variety of groups
· Carrying out special research projects about food services in schools
QAST welcomes everyone’s involvement in the organisation. Consider;
· Joining QAST
· Taking up a position on the QAST Management Committee
· Becoming a corporate sponsor
· Submitting an article or idea for the QAST Talking Tuckshops quarterly magazine
· Attending a QAST Trade Expo
· Volunteering for a QAST research project
Anyone can become a member of QAST. Currently QAST has over 750 members in Queensland including;
To find out more about membership click here.
QAST receives a large portion of its funding from membership fees. In addition QAST receives assistance from Queensland Health and Education Queensland. QAST has a successful history of winning grants to carry out other special projects and research.
The idea to form an association in Queensland came from a number of individuals and groups, including tuckshop workers and health/education organisations. Highlights over the years include;
1996 QAST became an incorporated body
1997 QAST co-hosted the Inaugural Total Tuckshop Conference in Brisbane in conjunction with the Australian Nutrition Foundation’s Annual Trade Fair.
1997 Regional Tours commenced and continued until 2000
1998 Survey completed of all Queensland Tuckshops
1998 QAST hosted the inaugural Queensland Tuckshop Convenor of the Year Awards
1999 Food Safety in Tuckshops project
2000 QAST Business Plan developed with assistance of Gaming Machine Benefit Fund
2001 Queensland School Breakfast Project funded by the Department of Health and Ageing
2002 Food Safety Summit
2003 QAST Trade Directory launched with support of Gambling Community Benefit Fund
2003 Queensland School Breakfast Project – Parents funded by Queensland Health and Golden Casket
2004 Fresh Ideas For Fundraising Project funded by Health Promotion Queensland and One Harvest
2005 QAST is a lead agency assisting tuckshops to implement Smart Choices receiving funding from Education Queensland and Queensland Health to deliver additional services.
2005 New look QAST website relaunched
2006 Smart Choices Regional Presentations delivered in partnership with QCPCA
2006 QAST publishes first issue of the Talking Tuckshops magazine
2008 QAST publishes Over the Counter: A Collection of Recipes Ideal for Canteens funded by the Gambling Community Benefit Fund
2008 Survey of Queensland Tuckshops completed funded by the MBF Foundation
2008 Swimmingly Good Food Project funded by a Queensland Community Partnership Grant