Breakfast club wins award from Number Ten

Magic Breakfast, which supports primary schools to fund free breakfast clubs, was presented with a Big Society Award on Wednesday by children’s minister Tim Loughton, during a visit to a Magic Breakfast Club at Ingram Road Primary School in Hollbeck, Leeds.

Nearly a third of the school’s pupils go to the breakfast club.

The national charity currently helps to run breakfast clubs in 210 primary schools for 6,000 children, working with schools where more than 50 per cent of children are eligible for free school meals, by arranging for companies to donate food and employee time.

The charity also encourages schools to approach local companies themselves to help breakfast clubs become self-funding.

Commending Magic Breakfast on the award, the Prime Minister said, ‘Getting the best start in life is important for a child’s future and that start can begin quite literally, even before the school day, with a healthy breakfast.

‘By supporting parents and schools to ensure children kick the day off in the right way, ready to learn and able to communicate, Magic Breakfast is playing an important part in this.
‘Congratulations to Magic Breakfast on such an innovative scheme and to all the businesses, volunteers, schools and parents involved.’

Carmel McConnell, founder of Magic Breakfast, said, ‘We are delighted to win the Prime Minister’s Big Society Award, and warmly invite more business partnerships to help us provide the best educational start to life for school children in this country.’

The Big Society Awards were set up by the Prime Minister in November 2010 as a way to acknowledge individuals and organisations across the UK that demonstrate the ‘Big Society’ in their work or activities.

Twelve winners are chosen each quarter and announced once a week throughout the year. Winners are presented with a plaque and signed certificate by the Prime Minister. They also receive an invitation to a reception at No.10 Downing Street and the opportunity to attend a practical networking and support event.