Amazon have stepped in to help Magic Breakfast reach more children at risk of hunger during the pandemic.
As the impact of the pandemic hit families, homes and schools last year, and children could not access healthy meals at school during lockdown, Amazon and Magic Breakfast expanded their partnership to provide schoolchildren at risk of hunger with a healthy breakfast. Together they have now delivered more than four million free, healthy breakfasts to children at their homes across the UK since May 2020.
“Since 2020, [Magic Breakfast] has doubled the number of schools and tripled the number of children we work with.”
– Shafiya Shah, Corporate Partnerships Manger, Magic Breakfast
Last year, research from YouGov highlighted the extent of the challenges faced around child nutrition and the impact of hunger on children’s learning during the pandemic. More than half of all teachers surveyed by YouGov reported concerns about an anticipated rise in hunger among children returning to school, while 74 per cent reported that school breakfasts would help children catch up on learning.
The YouGov research also highlighted holiday hunger as a key issue in learning development, as 57 percent of surveyed teachers noticed disadvantaged pupils falling behind academically after the summer holidays.
This is why Magic Breakfast and Amazon will help tackle ‘holiday hunger’ by continuing provision of free breakfasts to children at home. They estimate that 35,000 children from 671 schools will receive a breakfast via the partnership over the summer holidays.
“Children in my school are more settled, focused, happy, and ready to learn.”
– Headteacher, Magic Breakfast partner school in North East England
