New breakfast club fund for Scotland announced

The Scottish Government has announced £3 million to help more children to benefit from free breakfasts.

Announced in the draft Budget for 2025-26, Bright Start Breakfasts will help more primary school children get a healthy start to the day. The initiative will also provide families with childcare, supporting more parents to get to work in the morning.

This investment will build on the current breakfast provision in place, with nearly half of Scotland’s schools already providing access to food before the start of the school day.

Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth visited Clackmannan Primary School, where local children are already attending a breakfast club.

Ms Gilruth said: “Breakfast clubs are a crucial part of the Scottish Government’s key mission to eradicate child poverty.

“We know how important a healthy breakfast can be for children, particularly those who are most at risk of poverty, and these clubs will help set children up for the day so they can achieve their learning potential.

“Bright Start Breakfasts will build upon the support that we are already providing families in the latest Budget, including lifting the two-child cap, expanding free school meals, the school clothing grant and education maintenance allowance - ultimately giving families across Scotland vital help through the ongoing cost-of-living crisis.”