It’s estimated that there are 2.1 million adults in the UK now using foodbanks as the cost of living crisis continues to hit low income families hardest. Now, Aldi is launching an Adult’s Breakfast Club to help millions of parents who are skipping breakfast to ensure their children have enough food to eat.
Research from the supermarket showed that 44 per cent of parents from lower income families are skipping meals to ensure their children don’t go hungry, with breakfast being the most common one to miss.
And with 47 per cent of parents now experiencing more financial pressure to feed the family compared to six months ago, it is estimated that almost two in three admit they’re likely to go hungry so their little ones don’t have to.
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These stark statistics also show that a third of parents are buying less food now than they were six months ago, with some of the biggest cutbacks including key breakfast items such as butter, milk, and cereal.
To help ensure parents are getting the food they need, shoppers will be able to access breakfast free of charge as part of Aldi’s newly announced Adult’s Breakfast Club.
The supermarket chain is donating 10 tonnes of healthy cereal and 5,000 gallons of milk and milk alternatives to foodbanks across the country, with the help of charity partner Neighbourly. It will also be doubling down on its existing donations to local schools during term time, as almost a third (31 per cent) of parents surveyed said that they rely on their children being provided breakfast by their school.
Liz Fox, Corporate Responsibility Director at Aldi UK said: “We believe that having access to healthy food should be a right, not a privilege. The thought that parents are having to skip meals to ensure their children can eat is terrible.
“Our partnership with Neighbourly to donate surplus food from our stores helps to support the communities where we operate, but we want to be able to help parents too. We hope the Adult Breakfast Club will help provide everyday breakfast essentials to parents who otherwise would be going without.”
Those who can afford to contribute to the scheme can do so on the Aldi website at www.aldi.co.uk/neighbourly, where a £5 donation can provide up to 30 breakfasts.
Steve Butterworth, CEO of Neighbourly, added: “We are now seeing the real-world effects of the cost-of-living-crisis, and this is what it looks like. Parents sitting with empty, or half-empty, plates at mealtimes to ensure their children have enough food. Creating a dedicated Breakfast Club to ensure these parents are getting the nutrients they need and deserve is a brilliant initiative and one we hope will make a tangible difference in our community.”
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