Our experience has shown this enables children in decile one schools to reach their potential in schooling and provides the necessary support structure to their families and communities. Breakfast Club works with each school and helps address every impediment to children fully participating in the school curriculum. It is not about a hand out, but a hand up.

In addition, groceries, furniture, clothing, appliances, books and toys are distributed to needy families as required. Alongside providing breakfasts and lunches we work with school social workers and principals setting up food banks, vegetable gardens, sports academies and higher education programmes. In a very short time this has resulted in three students being offered five year sporting scholarships at major decile 10 colleges (one of these being St. Kentigern College), one school winning an Auckland-wide cooking competition using food from their vegetable garden and one school coming second in an Auckland-wide Mathletics competition.

Documented evidence shows that as a result of Breakfast Club activities, violence is down, truancy is down, sickness is down, learning is up and schools’ achievements have increased.

The chart above shows how Breakfast Club has expanded from its beginnings in July 2010.

For more information, please visit breakfastclub.org.nz