Morrisons and Kellogg’s to provide kids’ cereal through Magic Breakfast

• Participating schools are either feeding children or making up breakfast packs to be distributed to families

• Heinz, Quaker Oats UK and the New York Bakery Co have also provided breakfast items

Morrisons and Kellogg’s have partnered with charity Magic Breakfast to provide 200,000 boxes of cereal to more than 12,000 schoolchildren during the coronavirus lockdown.

Magic Breakfast works with 480 partner schools in disadvantaged areas of the UK, providing nutritious food to children who arrive at school too hungry to learn.

Since school closures were announced, the charity has started delivering breakfast food to all partner schools who have requested it. Schools are then either feeding children or making up breakfast packs to be collected by families or distributed by staff to the doorsteps of families.

As well as the 200,000 boxes of ‘by Kids’ cereal donated by Morrisons and Kellogg’s, Heinz has contributed cans of Beanz, Quaker Oats UK has given porridge and the New York Bakery Co has provided packs of bagels.

In the coming weeks, Magic Breakfast will also be arranging deliveries of breakfast food to alternative distribution sites (nominated by schools), where schools are closed, and will be working with delivery partners and volunteers to deliver breakfast packs for children to their homes.

Between 13 and 24 April, the charity will be delivering breakfasts to more than 12,000 children who would normally be able to have breakfast in 471 of its partner schools.

“We know that during this challenging period this is providing a lifeline for families who are struggling to access nutritious food,” said CEO Alex Cunningham. “We are incredibly grateful to all the organisations that work with us, including Morrisons, in helping us to continue to deliver so many breakfasts to vulnerable children in these very difficult times.”

Joseph Clark-Bland, charity and community specialist at Morrisons, added: “We are playing our part in feeding the nation and that includes vulnerable young people. We hope these boxes provide fuel to help young people concentrate on their schooling at this very difficult time.”