Aldi is launching a free breakfast club for the Easter holidays to help feed millions of parents who are skipping meals to ensure their children have enough food to eat.
New research from Aldi reveals that 47% of parents are now experiencing more financial pressure to feed the family compared to six months ago, with almost 2 in 3 admitting they will go hungry so their children don’t have to.
Starting today, the initiative will ensure customers can get free breakfasts as parents go without to feed their kids. It comes as almost half (44%) of parents from lower-income families are skipping meals or eating less to ensure their children have enough food to eat.
Breakfast is the most common meal for parents to miss, with more than a third of parents (37%) currently unable to afford a full shop to feed themselves and their family.
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“We believe that having access to healthy food should be a right, not a privilege,” said Aldi UK’s corporate responsibility director Liz Fox.
“The thought that parents are having to skip meals to ensure their children can eat is terrible. We hope the Adult Breakfast Club will help provide everyday breakfast essentials to parents who otherwise would be going without.”
Aldi is donating 10 tonnes of healthy cereal and 5,000 gallons of milk and milk alternatives to foodbanks across the country, with the help of charity partner Neighbourly.
The supermarket will also be doubling down on its existing donations to local schools during term time, as almost a third (31%) of parents surveyed said that they rely on their children being provided breakfast by their school.
Charity professionals at Neighbourly estimate that 50% of the parents they work with are regularly skipping meals and eating less during the school holidays in order to put food on the table for their children.
Neighbourly CEO Steve Butterworth, said: “We are now seeing the real-world effects of the cost-of-living-crisis, and this is what it looks like. Parents sitting with empty, or half-empty, plates at mealtimes to ensure their children have enough food.
“Creating a dedicated Breakfast Club to ensure these parents are getting the nutrients they need and deserve is a brilliant initiative and one we hope will make a tangible difference in our community.”
