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BACK TO SCHOOL ON A HEALTHY BREAKFAST
Over 6,000 pupils in 7 primary and 10 secondary schools throughout Highland went back to school this term with the option of having a healthy start to their day at 8 newly established and 9 existing breakfast clubs that have secured funding from the Scottish Executive.

As part of the government’s commitment to improving diet for the country’s population, the Scottish Executive in partnership with the Scottish Community Food Foundation has provided funding in the form of a one off grant to local authorities throughout Scotland.

The Highland Council has secured the maximum award of £15,000 from the Scottish Community Diet Project to add more schools and additional services to the growing number of breakfast clubs that are now established across the authority.

The awards varying from £220 to £1,800 will allow schools to offer a healthy nourishing breakfast prior to the start of the school day. The clubs will provide much needed childcare, socialising and opportunities to partake in health promotion activities such as tooth brushing.

Schools that have benefited from the awards include:

New Breakfast clubs
Ardersier Primary £1,500

Wick High School £1,000

Dalneigh Primary £1,800

Rosebank Primary £220

Wick South School £930

Tain Royal Academy £440

Glenurquhart High £785

Central Primary £700

Support to Existing Clubs

Plockton High £200

Grantown Goose (Grantown Primary) £500

Alness Academy £500

Invergordon Academy £1,000

Dornoch Academy £1,500

Wick North £800

Thurso High £1250

Kinlochbervie £500

Strathpeffer £1,375

Schools are set to use the funding in different ways. Some will be used for Equipment to offer a wider choice of hot and cold foods. Games, books, CD players and staff to assist and support the pupils who attend are other uses for the funding.

Mairi Robertson Head Teacher at Grantown Primary said: "The Breakfast club is one of our Health Promoting School activities here at Grantown Primary. We are delighted to get this most recent award for the ‘Goose breakfast club’. We have been running the club here for almost a year and a half now and are always looking to improve and develop. The funding will go to buy new equipment and storage units for the club."

Lindsay Graham Health Promoting Schools Development Officer said: "Highland Council and NHS Highland are working in partnership to promote the health and wellbeing of the whole school population in the Highland region. As part of schools becoming ‘Health Promoting ‘by 2005 many have established breakfast clubs and others are about to start new clubs.

"Each club is individual to the school and its needs and with rurality and working parents a key factor in today’s society Breakfast clubs are welcome additions to the Education service. Seventeen Highland schools are set to benefit from this grant from the Scottish Community Food Foundation and experience’s of these and other schools will help to develop and shape the breakfast clubs in Highland in the future."