A successful initiative to provide hundreds of schoolchildren with breakfast has been expanded to cover an extra three schools.

The Coalition for the Protection of Children’s Breakfast Programme is now in its seventh year since its inception.

Last year the charity’s staff and partners provided breakfast to five schools across the island. This school year they will be running the initiative in a total of eight schools.

“It makes such a difference to the way these children start their day,” Gina Ingham, the coordinator for the Breakfast Programme, said

The charity’s first school breakfast programme began at Victor Scott School in 2007.

“In 2007 we did a pre and post evaluation of the children’s test score,” Sheelagh Cooper, chairwoman of the Coalition, said. “The dramatic results convinced us of the value of the programme and the amazing difference it made to both the academic and behavioural component of the children’s school day.”

The programme served more than 40,000 breakfasts last year and charity bosses are expecting to serve closer to 65,000 this school year.

The Coalition has now launched a fundraising drive to cover the cost of the winter school semester.

“Not only do we see more children coming for breakfast but the cost of the milk, cereal and juice has risen substantially and of course we need to raise just that much more money to cover the cost,” Kelly Hunt, the director of child and adolescent services for the Coalition, said.

Mrs Cooper added: “We operate the programme so that anyone who would like breakfast is welcome.

“With close to 25 per cent of Bermuda’s children at or below the poverty line there are plenty of children arriving for breakfast.”

Donations can be made to the Coalition for the Protection of Children’s HSBC account — 010 411486 002.