A Northern Irish college has launched a new breakfast club in an effort to support students during the cost of living crisis.
South West College, which has campuses in Co Tyrone and Fermanagh, has started the new initiative that will provide every student with a healthy breakfast three days a week.
The project is run entirely by volunteers, who have received donations from staff, and will provide a variety of different breakfast options including cereal, toast, fruit, juice, tea, and coffee.
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Celine McCartan, Chief Executive at South West College, said: “This is great initiative and I am very grateful to the College staff who are supporting this. This means students can get a quick breakfast as soon as they get to college which sets them up for the day ahead.
"At South West College, we are committed supporting the health and wellbeing of our students as well as actively addressing inequality. We see benefits including alleviating financial anxiety, providing another social outlet and positively impacting our student’s physical and mental well-being and in turn supporting their academic pursuits.
“We hope that the initiative will support the return of all students to campus and foster a sense of community. It is such a positive initiative but only one of the range of supports we offer through our Student Services team to ensure that every student has the opportunity to achieve their full potential whist studying with us.
“We are already seeing many students participating in the Breakfast Club and the feedback from students and staff has been very encouraging. We look forward to growing and developing this scheme to meet the needs of all our students, particularly in the current economic climate.”
Student Breakfast Clubs will run at the South West Colleges’ Dungannon, Cookstown, Omagh, and Enniskillen campuses every Monday to Wednesday from 8.15am to 9am.
Sharon Pritchard, Student Engagement and Support Manager at the College, said: "As we all know, it is important for everyone to start the day with a nutritious breakfast, yet evidence suggests a lot of our students are likely to be starting their college day too hungry to learn, potentially impacting their learning experience and their overall health and wellbeing.
“Some students may have just missed breakfast in the morning, whilst others may be struggling financially. At SWC, wellness is a major focus, and we are delighted to offer this initiative to everyone so that every learner has access to a nutritious breakfast before they start their academic day."
For further information or to get involved, please contact: sharon.pritchard@swc.ac.uk
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