A Dutch student club has given £55,000 for over 21,000 free breakfasts at Yearsley Grove and Fishergate primaries. How York's free meals scheme works.

Children at two York primary schools will get free breakfasts for the next three years after a £55,000 donation from a Dutch student society.

The money pays for more than 21,000 breakfasts for pupils at Yearsley Grove and Fishergate primary schools. City of York Council announced the gift on Tuesday 13 October (City of York Council).

By our calculation, that is no more than about £2.60 a breakfast.

Who gave it

The donation came from members of Stockpaert, a social network linked to a Rotterdam student club, through their Trekpaert Foundation. The council says it is part of the foundation’s yearly international giving, and it marks the student club’s 55th anniversary.

The group visited York last year, its 11th trip abroad, and met David Skaith, the Mayor of York and North Yorkshire. “We were able to discuss ideas for which good cause, as part of our Rotterdam student club’s 55th anniversary, we could donate to,” said John Reinerie, who chairs the club’s anniversary committee.

The members then confirmed the gift at an evening with the mayor and Cllr Claire Douglas, the council leader.

How York’s free school meals scheme works

The money goes to York Hungry Minds, the council’s campaign to give every child at selected primary schools a free meal, whatever their family’s income. With this gift, the council says:

  • 13 primary schools across the city now offer free school meals
  • 12 of them offer free breakfasts, paid for by donations to the York Hungry Minds appeal
  • Westfield Community Primary School offers free lunches to children in years 3 to 6, paid for by the council

The council’s scheme page says pupils in the pilots showed better attendance and punctuality than their peers in early research, and that staff saw better focus and energy after a free breakfast. The interim evaluations came from the Universities of York and Leeds (City of York Council, York Hungry Minds).

“Local and national evidence shows the positive impact free school breakfasts and lunches have on pupils’ attendance, learning and behaviour,” said Cllr Bob Webb, the council’s Executive Member for Education, Children and Young People, who chairs the York Hungry Minds steering group.

What it means for you

  • Parents at Yearsley Grove and Fishergate: the breakfasts are funded for three years. Your school will tell you how its breakfast offer runs.
  • Parents elsewhere: your child may still qualify for means-tested free school meals. The council explains who is eligible and how to apply.
  • Want to give? The council points donors to the Two Ridings Community Foundation, which runs the York Hungry Minds appeal.
  • Money worries: the University of York’s new poverty report found 18.2% of York children lived in relative poverty in 2025. Our report on its findings has the ward-by-ward picture.

Sources