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The Story

Why helping a generation of children starts with breakfast

The Story

The Times

News, Investigative Reporting, Long-form Audio, Current Affairs, In-depth Journalism, Daily News, Audio Storytelling, Daily News Podcast, Global News, Politics, Uk News, News Analysis, Exclusive Interviews

3.91.6K Ratings

🗓️ 15 December 2022

⏱️ 32 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day but, for increasing numbers of children, it’s a meal they miss, affecting their concentration and learning at school. So, as the cost of living crisis affects so many this winter, what can be done? We learn of the work of one of the charities being supported by this year’s Christmas Appeal, Magic Breakfast, which provides food for breakfast clubs, allowing children to start their days properly.

For more information and to donate to the Times and Sunday Times Christmas Appeal visit: https://times.ctdonate.org

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Guests:

  • Joanna Bates, deputy headteacher, Blue Gate Fields Junior School
  • Sian Acreman, headteacher, Blue Gate Fields Junior School
  • Pupils of Blue Gate Fields Junior School
  • Nicola Woolcock, Education Editor, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Clips: Jamie Oliver, Parliament.

This podcast was brought to you thanks to subscribers of The Times and The Sunday Times. To enjoy unlimited digital access to all our journalism subscribe here.


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Transcript

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0:00.0

Hello, I'm Adam Vaughn, the Times' Environment Editor.

0:02.8

At this October's Earth Summit, the Times and Sunday Times are bringing together

0:06.2

some of the UK's top people in sustainability from science to business and government.

0:10.9

The aim is to make more businesses more green and more profitable.

0:15.2

How do we revolutionise supply chains? How do we get green investment?

0:19.4

What opportunities are there when businesses work in an environmentally friendly way?

0:24.0

Find out by registering at TimesEarthSummit.com.

0:30.0

We've all felt it. The cost of living crisis is kicking in with bills shooting up and inflation

0:48.1

soaring. For some households, that means having to make a choice between heating and eating.

0:57.2

And for millions of children, that means coming to school hungry.

1:02.3

It's really hard because it's like our tummy rumbles and it kind of like cuts our stomach a bit.

1:11.1

Yeah, I sometimes get that feeling because you feel very like hungry and tired.

1:19.7

Despite being the sixth largest economy in the world, the UK still has some of the highest

1:25.8

rates of food poverty in Europe. Find it quite staggering and hard to get my head around

1:32.7

how many children in this country live in poverty. There's about 4.3 million children,

1:38.2

which is a huge, a huge number. It's almost a third of all children.

1:47.0

One charity is trying to provide food for hungry children at schools across the country.

1:53.7

One breakfast club at a time, but they need your help.

1:58.7

If we lose the support of Magic Breakfast, there is only so far a school budget will stretch

2:04.9

while remembering the mainstay is teaching and learning.

2:08.4

Today, we'll find out how a Breakfast Club can transform a school.

2:14.8

You are listening to stories of our times from the times and Sunday times.

...

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