This week in Parliament, Sharon helped announce the winners of the Kelloggs' Breakfast Club Awards 2015, which she also helped judge.
Sharon, pictured here with Liz McInnes MP, Member of Parliament for Heywood and Middleton and Shadow Communities and Local Government Minister.
There have been countless stories of children fainting during mid-morning lessons because of a lack of healthy food, or any food at all, on a morning or even the night before and are running on empty when they arrive at school to learn.
The Kellogg’s Breakfast Club Awards celebrates the best breakfast clubs from across the UK who help to address the issue of children going hungry before school and when the awards were announced in September over 500 schools entered.
Sharon took part as one of the expert judges of the awards, along with: Peter Watson, Primary Times Editor; Sally Whittle, writer of ‘Mummy Blogger’; Lindsay Graham, School Food Advisor; Professor Greta Defeyter, Director of Health Living at Northumbria University, and; Simon Langley, Headteacher of Broadstone Hall Primary School in Stockport, which was a previous winner of the Kelloggs’ Breakfast Club Awards.
On the day, Sharon presented the awards with Jonathan Myers, Kellogg’s Regional Vice-President for the UK and Ireland, and Mr Burton of Educating Yorkshire fame.
Each winner was awarded a prize of £1,500 for their breakfast club. The overall winner was given £2,000. A runner up from each category received £500.
Speaking after the event, Sharon (pictured above with Liz McInnes MP, Member of Parliament for Heywood and Middleton and Shadow Communities and Local Government Minister) said:
“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and sadly in today’s society we see children fainting mid-morning because they haven’t received the food that morning to keep them going at school, or even the night before.
“That’s why it was wonderful to recognise all the hard work and dedication from the entries to the Kelloggs Breakfast Club Awards who provided a healthy breakfast to those children who need it, along with an enriching and educational environment to start their school day.
“Thanks must also go to Kelloggs for once again recognising the work that goes into providing breakfast clubs to children and young people, and I hope that after this year’s award there can be a real move forward in providing for those children and young people who go hungry at the beginning of the school day.”
The categories and winners of each are as below:
Long Life and Sustainability: Johnson Fold Primary School, Bolton
Extra Learning: South View Junior School, Basingstoke
Promoting a Healthy Lifestyle: The Rowans, Kent
Community Involvement: Severn View Food Project
Breakfast Club Hero: Helen Walker, Greenland Community Primary School, Co. Durham
Best Breakfast Club (Wales): Oakfield Primary School, Cardiff
Best Breakfast Club (Scotland): St Winnings Primary School, Kilwinning
Best Breakfast Club (Northern Ireland): Lisnagelvin Primary School, Londonderry
Best Breakfast Club (England): Penine Way Primary School, Carlisle
Overall Winner: Beechlawn School, County Down, Northern Ireland
To find out more about the Kellogg’s Breakfast Club Awards please follow the link, including a video from Mr Burton on the ‘Winners and Runners Up 2015’ webpage: http://www.kelloggs.co.uk/en_GB/kelloggs-breakfast-club-awards.html