MAGIC BREAKFAST CHARITY & FOOD WRITER ROSIE BIRKETT LAUNCH

“FUEL FOR SATS” CAMPAIGN TO SUPPORT SCHOOLCHILDREN

DURING SATS EXAM WEEK 2016

 

 

In the week of 9^th May, children in their last year of primary school will be sitting their all-important SATS exams. Those pupils who arrive at school hungry or malnourished will find it difficult to concentrate in any exams they have in the morning, so will already be at a disadvantage compared to children who have had a good breakfast as “fuel for SATS”.

 

Magic Breakfast is a national charity providing free, healthy breakfasts to 23,500 vulnerable children in 480 schools each school day. Teachers from the charity’s partner schools report that pupils who have eaten a nutritious “magic” breakfast are more alert, have increased concentration levels and improved educational attainment. Recent research by Cardiff University found a link between children eating a good breakfast and doing well in exams.*

 

During SATS week, Magic Breakfast would like to be able to give a free, nutritious breakfast to all Year 6 students in all of its partner schools. The charity has joined forces with the food writer and broadcaster, Rosie Birkett, to launch a new “Fuel for SATS” campaign on 11^th April aimed at raising funds, educating schoolchildren about why breakfast is so important to eat before lessons and exams, and teaching pupils some healthy breakfast recipes.

 

Rosie Birkett and chefs from Dishoom, Foxlow and Bone Daddies restaurants, will be engaging with four Magic Breakfast partner schools in London to give special breakfast presentations to Year 6 students in the four weeks leading up to SATS week. Rosie Birkett said: "I want to support Magic Breakfast because I believe every child has the right to eat breakfast. It's so important to their health, both mentally and physically, and greatly improves their ability to focus and learn, therefore giving them a good start not only to their day but in life."

 

Carmel McConnell, founder and Chief Executive of Magic Breakfast, said: “We know that a hungry schoolchild simply cannot concentrate. Our school partners tell us that SATS exam time brings that problem into even sharper focus.  We would love every child to have a good chance of exam success and are so grateful to Rosie Birkett and all our campaign supporters for helping us reach more children with this SATS’ week pledge. Thank you.”

 

It costs just 22p to provide a healthy “magic” breakfast to a schoolchild to give them “Fuel for SATS”. £5 gives 22 pupils the best “Fuel for SATS”. Text to Donate SATS05 £5 to 70070.

 

Magic Breakfast is aiming to raise £24,500 during its “Fuel for SATS” campaign. Aspect Capital Limited are, very generously, match-funding any money raised.

"Aspect Capital is delighted to match-fund this important campaign and help give children the best opportunity of passing these critical exams". Anna Galvau, Head of Legal and Charity Committee, Aspect Capital.

 

* http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/news/view/162112-good-breakfast,-good-grades

 

 

Notes to Editors

 

Interview, photo and filming opportunities

 

The founder and Chief Executive of Magic Breakfast, Carmel McConnell, is available for media interviews. Press visits to Magic Breakfast partner schools to watch healthy breakfast cookery demonstrations can be arranged by contacting Sophia Dettmer at Magic Breakfast on tel: 07803 800164 or email [email protected]

 

About Rosie Birkett

 

Rosie Birkett is a food writer / author, food stylist & presenter, based in East London. Her first book, A Lot On Her Plate was released last April, and her recipes have been featured across national print & digital publications. Rosie’s latest book, East London Food, is a collaboration with photographer Helen Cathcart, and shows off the gems that East London has to offer. Rosie regularly writes for titles including Guardian Cook, The Independent & BBC Good Food Magazine, plus she is a regular guest contributor on Sunday Brunch, talking about the latest food trends.

 

School visits

 

Week 1 – Wednesday 13^th April – Dishoom cookery event at St Michael’s Primary, Camden.

Week 2 – Monday 18^th April – Rosie Birkett cookery event at Mandeville Primary, Hackney.

Week 3 – Bone Daddies host event at their restaurant for Y6 pupils from Surrey Square Primary, Southwark (date tbc).

Week 4 – Friday 6^th May – Foxlow host event at their restaurant, with Rosie Birkett, for Y6 pupils from Princess May Primary, Hackney.

 

Rosie Birkett will share 4 recipes over the 4 weeks leading up to SATS week via her social media, which will link to the Magic Breakfast website (www.magicbreakfast.com). All recipes will be based on items provided in a healthy “magic” breakfast (cereal, porridge, bagels, fruit juice) and will be easy for children to make at home.

 

About Magic Breakfast

• 
  Magic Breakfast is a registered charity (number: 1102510) providing free, healthy breakfasts to over 23,500 UK children every school day.
• The charity works with schools where over 35% of children are eligible for Free School Meals, or with Ever 6 FSM, helping them to establish breakfast provision that targets every hungry child. A hungry child cannot concentrate and will miss out on the most important lessons, taught in the morning, if not given anything to eat.
• There are more than 480 Magic Breakfast partner schools – primary, secondary, SEN schools and Pupil Referral Units in England, but we have nearly 300 schools on our waiting list requesting urgent food aid.
• Each “magic” breakfast, of cereal, porridge, bagels and fresh fruit juice, costs the charity just 22p thanks to the generosity of the charity’s food and funding partners.
• Magic Breakfast was the sole winner, in 2014, of the Department for Education’s Lot 3 tender to set up new breakfast clubs in 184 schools in areas of social deprivation.
• At least half a million children in the UK go to school hungry. The goal of Magic Breakfast is to ensure that, by 2020, there are no children in the UK starting lessons too hungry to learn.

 

www.magicbreakfast.com

twitter: @Magic_Breakfast

facebook: magicbreakfastuk

instagram: magicbreky

 

About Aspect Capital

 

Aspect Capital Limited (Aspect) is a UK-based investment manager with offices in London, Stamford (CT) and Hong Kong. Aspect applies a systematic and quantitative approach to investment management, with the aim of generating high-quality and diversifying alpha for its clients' portfolios. The company currently manages USD6.6bn in a range of systematic investment programmes. The majority of these assets, USD5.0bn, are invested in the Aspect Diversified Programme (and a range of modified implementations) via a series of fund and client-specific managed account vehicles.

https://www.aspectcapital.com/about-aspect