BREAKFAST has always been lauded as the most important meal of the day.

Sustenance helps our bodies to function and eating the right foods - fresh fruit and vegetables as often as we can - keeps us fit and healthy.

Now a project primarily launched to tackle food waste around the world by diverting produce destined for landfill to create delicious and healthy meals under a manifesto ‘to feed bellies not bins’ is working with local schools.

Launched in 2013, The Real Junk Food Project is a global, organic network of pay-as-you-feel cafes which serve healthy meals from surplus stocks of food donated through supporters including local supermarkets and markets.

Duncan Milwain is founding director of Shipley Food Project - part of The Real Junk Food Project - which launched in 2014 and runs a pay-as-you-feel cafe, The Saltaire Canteen, in Saltaire.

He explains how the Fuel for School initiative developed from an approach by Nathan Atkinson, head teacher of Richmond Hill Primary in Leeds, to The Real Junk Food project.

Conscious that hunger could be a barrier to learning, the project is not only working with Richmond Hill, but decided towards the end of 2015 to feed 10,000 children in one day across cities including Leeds and further north.

According to Duncan, Fuel for School is currently working with 40 schools in Leeds delivering fruit, vegetables, and baked goods such as bread, sourced from supporters including Bradford-based Morrisons, the Co-op, Shipley market and independent shops on a weekly basis.

Gradually, other schools in other areas began to take an interest in the scheme.

Christ Church Academy in Windhill, Shipley, gave the project its initial foothold into Bradford and district. As well as Christ Church Academy, the project also works with Trinity All Saints in Bingley and Haworth Primary.

Richard Ireland, deputy headteacher at Christ Church Academy, explains he was keen to introduce the scheme at the school after hearing Mr Atkinson talking about it at a conference.

They say the proof is in the pudding and,since setting up Fuel for School at Christ Church Academy Mr Ireland says they have seen a significant improvement on issues such as behaviour and attendance.

“We wanted to focus on things like attendance and helping the community around us and also making children aware of their ability to affect the planet,” says Mr Ireland, referring to issues such as food waste.

“It makes them realise the impact they can have on the planet through a simple act.”

Mr Ireland says as a parent he can empathise with getting children ready for school on a morning and wanted to support parents to be able to do this and also provide a healthy breakfast if they haven’t had chance to eat at home.

Since the school introduced the scheme at the beginning of last year, it has provided 40,000 breakfasts to its pupils ranging from three to 11. On average more than 200 children benefit daily from the scheme.

“It is making sure that children, if they come and they haven’t had chance to have breakfast, they are fed and ready to learn when the curriculum starts,” he says.

The scheme’s success speaks for itself.

Although Fuel for School wasn’t directly referred to in the school’s ‘good’ Ofsted report in October last year, comments were made on the relentless drive which had seen significant improvements in attendance over the past 18 months or so.

Mr Ireland says behaviour has also significantly improved and it has brought educational benefits too, particularly as many of the important lessons such as maths, reading and writing are in a morning.

Supporting children with their learning needs, they can also make sure they are settled and ready to learn and, at the end of the day, they also run a stall to sell off surplus food to parents and staff. Proceeds are put back into the scheme.

Now Mr Ireland hopes other schools will get involved in the scheme: “If you have the capacity, do it. It is 100 per cent worth doing.”

Along with its mascot, Fred Fox, Fuel for School is delivering in more ways than one.

“The only way we can get across our message to enough people is by educating children, so really what Fuel for School is about is providing that education and the great thing about it is talking to children about food it is cross-curricular; we have got it covering geography, numeracy, there are so many different things.”

MORE EDUCATION HEADLINES