Bristol school teachers fund breakfast as charity goes bust

Teachers at a school in Bristol have been paying for more than 130 breakfast meals for pupils every day after a charity providing funds went bust.

Global Hearts for Children had funded the meals at Knowle DGE school.

Joanna Greenwood, who works at the school which specialises in learning difficulties, said the situation was "not fair", but they wanted to help.

The charity Magic Breakfast has now agreed to support the school's breakfast club as an ongoing partner.

'Negative behaviour'

Global Hearts for Children had provided the breakfast club meals at the school for the past nine years before going into liquidation.

"We feel it's really important that a child has a good start to the day," Ms Greenwood, a learning facilitator at the school, said.

"Hunger and thirst is a very big trigger for negative behaviour.

"If the meals aren't in place then they aren't able to engage and focus and be able to learn.

Founder Carmel McConnell said the charity helped to set up breakfast clubs for schools where pupils "arrived hungry and malnourished".

"Our aim is to make sure no pupil starts the day too hungry to learn so we'd like to help that school," she said.

The charity is planning to start deliveries to the school in late October and will give them a grant to cover breakfast costs until then.

Healthy bagels, orange juice, porridge and a range of cereals will eventually be delivered daily to the school.

It also wants to work with the school to help its breakfast club become self funded.