Raising a toast to breakfast clubs

FOR Amy Richards, the school breakfast club is a lifeline, just as it is for hundreds of thousands of British families.

- ROS WYNNE-JONES AND MARYAM QAISER

The 38-year-old mum, from Weston-super-Mare, Somerset, has a terminal brain tumour and severe epilepsy and her son, seven, and partner have autism.

"My son has separation anxiety, and the teacher would struggle to get him off me and into the classroom," Amy says. "Now, the breakfast club means he eats and plays with his best friend before school. It has made a huge difference. Things are not great with the cost of living for us."

For other families in the town, including at Bournville Primary School, families are relieved to have the option of breakfast clubs offered by a charity, ahead of Labour's pilot scheme to do the same for 750 schools, which kicks off in a few weeks. And the kids are none the wiser as they argue over which breakfast item is superior - cereal or bagels.

"The good thing is we can pick what breakfast we want," says Millie, seven. "I like both, but cereal is my favourite. I have it with a glass of milk or squash. I concentrate better in class if I eat breakfast too"

Ovuchi, five, can't decide between friends or breakfast. "I love cereal," he says. "And I like chatting to my friends at the breakfast club"

Emily, eight, is firmly on team Shreddies. She adds: "Breakfast club helps me learn and I like spending time with my friends before school."

Serving the breakfast is learning support assistant Michelle Thompson, aka "The Bagel Queen". "If we didn't have the breakfast club, there would be some children coming to school hungry," she says. "Having breakfast is important, especially when stomachs are rumbling. Just having that quick bite to eat can get rid of those hunger pangs. It's brain food." Weston-super-Mare is 140 miles from Westminster, but a breakfast revolution is happening here, one that ministers hope will soon transform the lives of millions of UK children.