Awards for Britain’s best breakfast clubs

Today, Kellogg’s and community learning organisation ContinYou start the search to find the UK’s best breakfast clubs, with a total prize fund of £15,500.

The Breakfast Club Plus Awards recognise those clubs who help ensure thousands of children across the country get the best possible start to their day. They reward those who demonstrate excellence in health and nutrition as well as community involvement and extra learning opportunities.

This year, there are four country awards (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland), each with a prize of £1500 for winners, £750 for the runner up and £200 for five highly commended clubs.

The search is also on for the 'Breakfast Club Champion': that special person whose work has supported the success of a breakfast club. It could be a parent volunteer that helps out every day or the member of staff that set the club up. The winning champion will receive £2,000 and the runner up will receive £500.  

The awards also recognise a local authority whose strategic work has made its mark in the sustainable development of breakfast clubs in the area that it serves.

Bruce Learner, Community and Social Responsibility Manager at Kellogg’s, comments:  “For many people, breakfast is the most important meal of the day but some families are pushed for time in the mornings. This is where breakfast clubs can help. The idea behind the awards is to highlight the enormous and varied benefits of breakfast clubs which include punctuality, attendance and concentration plus enhanced relationships between children and teachers.”  

Le Cateau Primary School in Catterick Garrison was recognised as the best breakfast club in England last year. 85% of the pupils at the school have one or both parents in the military with many currently serving in Afghanistan. Not only do the children at the breakfast club get the chance to start their day with a nutritious breakfast and twenty minutes exercise, they also get the opportunity to send E-Blueys to their family.

“E-Blueys are emails which are printed as letters by a terminal in the Operational Area overseas,” explained Mrs Margaret Merrall, Deputy Head at the school. “Having this facility available at breakfast club gives the children the opportunity and time to communicate with parents that are away.”

The three staff members all have family with military experience so the children can talk through any concerns they may have regarding their serving parents. "We were thrilled at winning the award for best breakfast club in England.” Mrs Merrall continued. “We decided to the spend the money on a laptop so more children can send e-blueys as well as some skipping ropes, frisbees and hoops to enhance the 20 minute exercise slot every morning. We recently organised a ‘French breakfast’ and invited parents to join us for baguettes, brioche, croissants and French cheeses.” 

Tony Apicella, ContinYou's National Programme Director comments, 'Le Cateau Primary School epitomises the good practice we find in breakfast clubs all over the UK. These clubs are an inspiration to schools and communities everywhere and emphasise the contribution they make to individuals and family life.'

Last year, Kellogg’s invested £340,000  to  work towards ensuring  children in the 500 most deprived areas of the UK have access to a breakfast club. This is part of the Kellogg commitment to the government’s Change4life initiative.

To enter the awards simply log on to www.breakfastclubplus.org.uk and download an application form. The closing date is Friday 12th February 2010.

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