14 October 2020

When the Covid-19 crisis hit back in March, we launched an emergency appeal with the simple aim of Keeping Breakfast Going.

Our model has always been providing healthy breakfast food in schools but suddenly schools were closing, and we needed to find new ways to reach children at risk of hunger. We had to adapt our delivery method so that we could reach children at home and, most importantly, raise the funds to do this.

Like many charities, much of our income stream had been cut off. Fundraising events were cancelled and the support which we normally received from the hospitality industry stalled.

But is seemed we only had to ask and so many were willing to help.

Regular corporate supporters and new partners provided Gifts in Kind in the form of food that we could distribute, Quaker Oats, Heinz beans, Morrisons, Arla, Kellogg’s, New York Bakery Co. to name but a few, and Amazon helped us enormously on the logistics front by delivering breakfast boxes direct to children’s homes.

Generous individuals came up trumps, boosted by support from celebrities such as actor Russell Tovey and footballer Dele Alli. The donations started to come in.

As Alex Cunningham, our CEO said:

“We’ve been blown away by the support we’ve had from our generous supporters and partners in response to our Keeping Breakfast Going fundraising appeal. The indicators show that the number of children going hungry is increasing at an alarming rate – and we cannot let this happen.”

We set out to raise £250,000 in order to keep breakfast going during the crisis. By September we had hit the amazing £1million mark.

We’d like to say a huge thank you to all who have and continue to support us. Child Hunger is increasing and a Magic Breakfast is vital for so many children who might otherwise start the day too hungry to learn. As the need increases so do our costs, but it is reassuring to know that when we ask for support the response is fantastic!