The pandemic has seen more and more children going to school early for breakfast.

The impact on family incomes of the Covid-19 pandemic has meant more youngsters signing up for breakfast clubs run by the Huddersfield Town Foundation.

Launched in 2012, the foundation now has 41 local schools involved.

With demand rising, the foundation has now secured an £8,000 funding boost with a grant from One Community, in partnership with the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

Coming from their Coronavirus Response fund, the money will be used to support the running of the Breakfast Club programme and help families ensure their children have a healthy and nutritious start to the day.

One Community’s funding will help the Town Foundation continue to supply Breakfast Club items such as bread, cereal, fruit pots and juice to the schools that are able to open for the children of critical workers.

Healthy breakfast time at Rawthorpe Infants

Since the start of the pandemic the number of children attending Breakfast Clubs in schools has risen, with parents and guardians’ household income dropping due to being placed on furlough or losing their jobs.

Separately, the Town Foundation has also been able to support 75 families over a five-week period by delivering them a food parcel.

On the latest grant Lisa Bottomley, fundraising executive at the Town Foundation, said: “I would like to thank the One Community Foundation and DCMS for the funding that they have kindly awarded to the foundation.

“We will continue to do anything within our power to alleviate the strain facing families at this difficult time, with Breakfast Club playing a key role in that.”

Tucking in at Rawthorpe Infants

Emma Woods-Bolger, CEO of the One Community Foundation, added: “Since March 2020 One Community has been taking a local approach to the national crisis, and our Coronavirus fund has now supported hundreds of charitable organisations working on the frontline in Kirklees.

“The Town Foundation is undertaking vital work and we are honoured to be supporting them with this grant.”