Pupils at three County Durham schools are getting a healthier start to their day thanks to new breakfast clubs.
Housing association believe housing is supporting The Greggs Foundation Breakfast Clubs at Shotton Primary School, near Peterlee, Elemore Hall School, at High Pittington, and New Brancepeth Primary Academy, near Durham city.
It teamed up with The Greggs Foundation to establish the clubs and has allocated £12,000 to cover running costs for the next two years.
The money came via the North East procurement consultancy Prosper, which awards funds to landlord partners like believe housing to give to social value initiatives which best support their communities.
Thanks to the three new clubs, more than 200 children will receive a healthy meal before school such as toast, low sugar cereal, fruit, yoghurt, juice and milk.
During Breakfast Club, pupils are able to spend time with friends and school staff enjoying a nutritious breakfast, and enjoy activities such as homework, reading and colouring-ino prepare them for the school day ahead.
Free Breakfast Clubs are also a valuable way to support working parents with access to childcare before the school day begins.
Heather Shaw, headteacher at Shotton Primary School, said: “The benefit to our children of having breakfast available at the start of each school day is immense.
“By being able to provide healthy, nutritious and appetising food it enables our children to concentrate, focus and learn. Knowing that breakfast is available for all, every day, is undoubtedly reassuring for our children knowing that this basic and essential need will be met.
“By having a breakfast club our children are safe and secure and ultimately prepared for the demands of the day ahead.
“Our children are able to enjoy the delights of watermelon, plums and high quality fruit on a daily basis with an unlimited supply of bread and ‘proper’ butter as well as a special termly breakfast.
“Rest assured our children and staff value being able to have what should automatically be available for everyone but which unfortunately is not.”
Damian Pearson, Community Investment Performance Team Leader at believe housing, said: “We have been supporting The Greggs Foundation with three Breakfast Clubs through our own community investment programme for some time, and know the positive difference they have made to the families that access them.
“So, we are delighted to have been able to work with Prosper to establish a further three.
“A nutritious breakfast to start the day can support a child’s overall health and wellbeing and help them do better in school, which is really important to believe housing as we aim to deliver life without barriers through our services and support for our customers and communities.”
Rod Brasington, Chief Executive Officer of Prosper, said: “We are delighted to have been able to support believe housing, the breakfast clubs, and the children who attend them through our Social Value Dividend Fund. This is just one brilliant example of the positive impact the funding can have on local communities.”
Tracy Lynch, Greggs Foundation Manager said: “believe housing is one of our valued partners of the Breakfast Club programme and thanks to their support, we have now opened 890 clubs in schools across the UK.
“We believe no child should start the day hungry and we are proud to be ending 2023 with over 62,000 children receiving a breakfast at one of our clubs every single day.
“Thank you to believe housing and Prosper for supporting our Breakfast Club programme – it really does make a difference.”
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