MP WELCOMES FIVE NEW FREE BREAKFAST CLUBS AS GOVERNMENT SAVES PARENTS IN BIRMINGHAM EDGBASTON £450

• Edgbaston parents set to save money on breakfast clubs, childcare, school uniform and holiday clubs, as the Government makes day to day life easier and more affordable

• Over 500 free clubs opened in country’s disadvantaged areas in watershed moment for families across England, ahead of national rollout

  
  

Today (13th April), Preet Kaur Gill, MP for Birmingham Edgbaston, welcomed five new Best Start free breakfast clubs opening in her constituency. As the Government helps local families with the cost of living and gives local children the best start to their day.

Last year, local schools Nonsuch Primary, St Patricks & St Edmunds, and World's End Infant all received funding for breakfast clubs.

Five new additional schools in Edgbaston received funding for free breakfast clubs including:

-          St Michael’s C of E, Bartley Green

-          The Orchards Primary, Bartley Green

-          Woodcock Hill Primary, Bartley Green

-          Woodhouse Primary, Quinton

-          Oasis Academy Woodview, Edgbaston

Edgbaston parents will be supported with additional time at the start of the day to attend appointments, get to work on time and run errands. In total, this means parents will be able to save up to 95 additional hours and £450 per year.

With the cost of living at the forefront of parents’ minds in Edgbaston, these clubs will be a lifeline for working families simply trying to get by. When you’re raising a family, every penny counts and that’s why the Government is stepping in to ease the pressure and put money back in parents’ pockets.

Delivering on the Government’s Plan for Change, the landmark free breakfast clubs are proven to get more children school-ready and support parents with the drop off.

These clubs sit alongside the Government’s action to tackle the cost of living, with new research showing that Government’s plan to make childcare more accessible and affordable is saving families £8,000 on average.

Best Start Holiday Clubs are also saving parents £300 outside of term time and Best Start family hubs are building on the legacy of Sure Start while providing free services such as stay and play. Government’s new laws, set to be passed this year, will tackle the spiralling cost of uniform and save parents £50 on their back-to-school shop.

MP for Birmingham Edgbaston, Preet Kaur Gill said:

“I was elected on a manifesto promising real change, and as a former children’s services manager, I’ve seen first hand the difference this kind of support makes for parents and families.

Children deserve to start the day ready to learn. At one of the breakfast clubs I visited, it was clear the impact is immediate children were happy, engaged in activities and sports, and able to sit down to a healthy breakfast in a supportive environment.

These clubs are about more than just food they’re about giving every child the best possible start and easing the pressure on working families.

This Government is delivering for children and their families here in Birmingham, Edgbaston.”

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

“As a parent, I know that the combined pressures of family life and work can often feel impossible to juggle. That is why our manifesto promised to make parents lives easier and put more money in their pockets with free breakfast clubs. Under a year since we came into office, this government is delivering that through our Plan for Change.

“The rollout of free breakfast clubs is a truly game-changing moment for families in this country. They mean parents will no longer be hamstrung by rigid school hours and have the breathing space they need to beat the morning rush, attend work meetings and doctors’ appointments, or run errands. And crucially, it means better life chances for children.

“By making these clubs free and universal, we’re doing something that previous governments have never done. We’re going further and faster to deliver the change working families deserve. That’s the change this government was elected to deliver.”

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

“Free breakfast clubs are a central part of our Plan for Change. At a time when there is so much pressure on families, they provide real help with the cost of living and ensure children start the day with a nutritious meal.

“On top of the hectic school run, parents should not have to worry about how to balance work and getting their children fed and ready for school. These clubs will break down barriers and help children settle in, focus and get the most out of their learning.

“We are delivering on our promises and giving every child the best start in life while making sure families get the support they need, wherever they live.”