Frog Bikes supports Magic Breakfast in feeding school children at risk of hunger

2 August 2021

Frog Bikes supports Magic Breakfast in feeding school children at risk of hunger


Prior to the pandemic, 1.7 million children in the UK were living with food insecurity, this number is sadly likely to have grown because of Covid-19.


Magic Breakfast, of which Frog Bikes is a supporter, is an amazing charity that provides healthy school breakfasts to children at risk of hunger in disadvantaged areas of the UK, with the aim to end hunger as a barrier to education.


Since being officially established in 2003, Magic Breakfast provides healthy breakfasts to around 170,000 children each school day, in England and Scotland, covering over 1000 primary, secondary and Special Education Needs schools, plus Pupil Referral Units.


Val Benyon, Head of Marketing at Frog Bikes commented “We are not just concerned with instilling the love of cycling to ensure an active and healthy future generation, we are also on a journey to better children’s health in other ways too. The partnership with Magic Breakfast supports our commitment to making a difference in children’s lives as we help towards funding vital school breakfast services as a fuel for learning.


HOW IT ALL BEGAN

The Founder of Magic Breakfast is Carmel McConnell MBE, D.Hon (Open) M.MBA.


Carmel’s background is a mixture of social activism and senior corporate roles. While researching her first book ‘Change Activist', in 2000, Carmel interviewed five headteachers in the London borough of Hackney who told her that many of their pupils arrived at school too hungry or malnourished to learn. Carmel started buying and delivering breakfast food to these schools, with remarkable results as children's concentration, behaviour, punctuality and educational attainment significantly improved. As demand for her help grew, Carmel took out a loan and time out from her business, registering Magic Breakfast as a charity in 2003.


WHY BREAKFAST IS A FUEL FOR SUCCESS

Breakfast is an important part of any child’s diet, and as one of the three main meals a day it should provide between 20-35% of nutrient intake. But many children miss out on breakfast. A 2012 study showed that 14% of children surveyed did not eat breakfast. This equates to 1 in 7, and a third of these children reported not eating anything until lunchtime.


  • • Missing one meal a day makes it much harder for a child to meet all the required nutrient intake recommendations
  • • Skipping breakfast is associated with a higher BMI in children
  • • The risk of obesity in children and adolescents who skipped breakfast was 43% greater than those who ate breakfast regularly
  • • If children don’t eat breakfast they may struggle with concentration, anxiety or managing their emotions

Starting the day with a healthy breakfast will help children feel more resilient, better able to tackle their day, and prepare them to succeed in and out of the classroom.


SCHOOL BREAKFAST STANDARDS

At its most fundamental level, the main purpose of school breakfasts should be to ensure no child starts the day too hungry to learn. School breakfast provision can – and does – have a range of other benefits, but its foundation should be built around the goal of ensuring every child at risk of hunger can access a healthy breakfast without barriers or stigma. The benefits of school breakfasts, including the impact on educational attainment, will only be realised if breakfast reaches children who would have otherwise gone without.



HOW TO GET INVOLVED

There are many ways you can get involved, from fundraising to events, take a look here


Or, you can simply donate. Every 34p kindly donated to Magic Breakfast could give a child a nutritious breakfast and the chance to succeed at school. Find out more here


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