Greggs Foundation x Rethink

Source: The Greggs Foundation

Children on the course will be given a series of ‘missions’ as ‘secret agents’

Greggs’ charitable arm is aiming to teach up to 50,000 school children the importance of food security and sustainability.

The Greggs Foundation is launching a free education programme in partnership with food education charity Rethink Food.

The programme will be rolled out to year two and three children in the 770 UK schools which benefit from Greggs Breakfast Club, an initiative providing fresh bread to help kids get a nutritious start to their school day.

Rethink Food was founded by teachers in response to children facing hunger as a barrier to learning. It aims to teach children skills to help them lead a life without food insecurity, and has pledged to deliver 10 million hours of education.

The new partnership will see the Greggs Foundation contribute one million hours of that education, in a bespoke programme called Agents of Change. Developed in line with OFSTED framework, it consists of 24 training modules to be delivered each half term throughout a school year via an online platform.

Children on the course will be given ‘missions’ as ‘secret agents’ designed to help them learn about sustainable lifestyle choices and the importance of physical activity and healthy diets. They will also get resources including a school backpack for each child and sticker sheets, along with the opportunity to present their work in an end-of-year showcase.

“Through this partnership, we will be supporting hands-on education for thousands of children, which is central to the objectives of the Greggs Foundation in addressing child hunger for current and future generations,” said Greggs Foundation manager Tracy Lynch.

“We are confident Agents of Change will contribute to a new cycle of learning in the communities we support and look forward to supporting the Rethink Food team in delivering this creative and imaginative food education programme.”

Rethink Food co-founder Nathan Atkinson said: “The support that the Greggs Breakfast Club programme offers is vital in providing children and young people with a positive start to their day.

“In working with the foundation, we are delighted to be able to enrich this offer through the Agents of Change curriculum offer. We believe high-quality food education is key in supporting children and their families live food-secure lives and this programme is a stepping stone in supporting this.”