St Thomas Primary School in Huddersfield has won a national award, with help from the Town Foundation.

When it was noticed some children were arriving to class tired, drowsy and even suffering from mood swings each morning, teachers realised many were coming to school hungry.

The school on Sherwood Avenue was already running a breakfast club, but decided to extend the service to provide a healthy mid-morning snack to help children concentrate better in class.

The school decided to set up a ‘Half Time Healthy Hunger Hut’ and approached the Town Foundation for financial help with setting up the project and supplying the fruit.

The school has now been presented with the Money Management Award for its work seeking funding, building corporate relationships within the community and for actively involving children in the project. Pupils created a business plan, researched fruit, made smoothies and organised a rota in the hut to give out snacks.

The award was presented on behalf of the Community Education Awards, an educational awards programme backed by Dame Esther Rantzen and the Police Community Clubs of Great Britain. Teacher and senior learning mentor Rachel Tempest said she was delighted with the award.

“School teachers and the wider support staff had raised concerns on the increasing number of children arriving at school without breakfast,” she said.

“The aim of the project was to secure the necessary funding to enable all seven to 11-year-old children, particularly those who regularly missed breakfast, to benefit from a daily piece of fresh fruit or vegetable.

“I’m ecstatic about the award. The Year Six Junior Enterprise Team (Jets) who develop and manage the project, along with the children who work in the Hunger Hut have been fantastic, as have The Town Foundation, who we couldn’t have done this without.

“I’m immensely proud of them and their team work, especially as it’s the final year at St Thomas for our Jets. What a great achievement and learning experience ahead of the children who will be starting high school!”
At an awards ceremony the children were praised for their involvement in the project.

Jessica Arber, 10, is a pupil at the school: “The Hunger Hut is great for our school and gives us delicious, free fruit,” she said. 

Mandy Taylor, the Fundraising Manager at the Town Foundation, added: 

“It has been a privilege to support this innovative project and to see first-hand the positive impact this has made upon so many children’s lives. 

“The school will no doubt be incredibly proud of its award success and we are delighted to have shared their celebration.”

Richard Evans is an awards coordinator with the Community Education Awards and congratulated the school on their success.

“This year the awards received over 2,500 awards- so to win The Money Management Award is an absolutely fantastic achievement,” he said.

“There is nothing more important than the health of school children, so to set up this project, by utilising the school’s corporate links is fantastic. What really impressed the judges though was how the children played their part in formulating a business plan and proving to be the real drivers behind the school’s success- well done to all the children and teachers involved.”

For more information log on to www.communityeducationawards.co.uk or contact press officer Richard Evans on 01244 360823, or email richard@ceawards.co.uk.