Breakfast club reflects love held for children

Children's Commissioner Dr Russell Wills joined 15 school pupils for porridge, toast and hot chocolate on Tuesday after accepting an invitation to experience the ritual of a local breakfast club run in a partnership between Martinborough Primary School and the Anglican Church of St Andrews.

Dr Wills said it is important to learn from communities which already have successfully implemented food in schools initiatives so that they can help other schools get it right. "I can see that this is a community that loves children," Dr Wills said. "There is a sense here that children are important to all our lives, that we share responsibility of raising them."

Since its inception in 2010, this breakfast club has welcomed an average of 15 children each day of every school term.

Club founder Archdeacon May Croft says it's about "creating a warm and relaxed atmosphere with the children at its heart".

She said all children are welcome at the club, whether they have eaten breakfast or not and the group includes children whose parents often have to start work early and children of volunteers.

Children serve themselves with supervision from a buffet table which includes porridge, cereal, canned fruit, juice, Milo, toast and spreads.

Breakfast is eaten together at tables and helpers eat with the children.

A lunch station is available if lunch is needed and Ms Croft says the club is often donated items such as fresh fruit and baking by the community.

Dr Wills was accompanied by Principal Advisor Kirsten Sharman and both said they learnt much from the visit. "When we are working on food in schools programmes we have to learn from the bottom up. The power of what is happening here is that it is connecting children with children and children with adults," said Dr Wills.

"The food is a vehicle through which children are learning respect, trust and social skills and that is the basis for learning."