Local homebuilder raises money to provide thousands of breakfasts for vulnerable pupils

Devon homebuilder Barratt David Wilson Homes Exeter has raised over £1,600 for national charity Magic Breakfast by taking part in their Great Big Breakfast across their housing developments and head office.

By coming together to share a morning meal with colleagues and contractors, they supported the charity to give more than 11,000 breakfasts to hungry children across England and Scotland.

The Great Big Breakfast in February saw colleagues on some developments cooking a hearty breakfast for the onsite team, others bought in baps from local food vans, and in the Barratt head office the whole team got involved with making a variety of breakfast treats. With everyone taking part making a small donation, the homebuilder raised an incredible £1,622 for Magic Breakfast in just one morning.

Magic Breakfast is a national charity that provides breakfasts to school children facing hunger every day. They work with schools across England and Scotland to ensure that no child is too hungry to learn or thrive, with its partner schools opening their doors a little earlier each morning to offer their students a free, nutritious ‘magic’ breakfast.

Before the pandemic, 1.7 million children were at risk of hunger in the UK, and by early 2022, this number rose to 2.7 million before rocketing further to 4 million in September 2022. During 2023, four million children were still at risk of hunger in the UK. This means one in four children in the UK didn’t have access to the food they need to thrive, demonstrating the importance of Magic Breakfast’s work.

The Barratt Foundation and Magic Breakfast officially formed a partnership in October 2023, and the Foundation is set to donate £500,000 to the charity over the next two years. Following the Great Big Breakfast in February, the funds raised by Barratt David Wilson Homes Exeter were matched by The Barratt Foundation, resulting in a total of £3,244. Just 28p can provide a nutritious breakfast to a hungry child, so the money raised by the local homebuilder will fund over 11,000 meals.

Andrew Spicer, managing director at Barratt David Wilson Homes Exeter, said: "Magic Breakfast is an incredible charity undertaking crucial work nationwide, particularly for children in disadvantaged areas who face hunger daily. The alarming statistics regarding hungry children underscore the essential nature of this service, both for children and schools striving to help students in need. We trust that our donation will contribute to sustaining the charity's mission of providing essential meals to the country’s most vulnerable pupils."

For more information about Magic Breakfast and how you can support them, visit their website: www.magicbreakfast.com

Barratt Homes and David Wilson Homes are currently building much-needed new homes across Devon, at Victoria Heights in Exeter, Fairfax Heath in Tiverton, Okement Park and Hampton Mill in Okehampton, and Berry Acres in Paignton. Wherever you are in your new home journey, Barratt Homes is here to support you and offers a range of schemes including Part Exchange Guarantee and the Key Worker Deposit Contribution Scheme.