A LEICESTER pub is planning to give back to the community which supported them throughout the pandemic, by raising £3,000 for a breakfast club for disadvantaged children in the city.
The Salmon Inn, which sits on Butt Close Lane, off Churchgate, is planning to raise the money throughout the year for ‘Project Breakfast Club,’ via a series of fundraising events including quizzes, live music events, raffles, challenges, cake sales and more.
Landlord Alex Hylton, said that he wanted to give back to the pub’s loyal customers, and the Leicester community who have supported them throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The customers have been incredible supportive of the pub in recent years and the pandemic brought us some very difficult challenges, and they have been there for us throughout,” said the landlord, who has ran the pub since September 2019.
“It’s time for us to pay back that support and do something for the community as we are proud to be a community-focused pub,” he added.
“We’ve got a great set of regulars and people that have been really supportive of us over the past couple of years, so in 2022 we were really keen to pass that support on, and show some love for the people that have helped us.”
The pub hopes to raise £3,000 throughout the course of the year, which will be used to support a breakfast club at the Lancaster Academy in Leicester.
The school’s breakfast club has been running for around four years, and provides a free breakfast for pupils, which includes fresh fruit and bagels.
The club is currently part funded through the National Schools Breakfast programme.
However money raised by The Salmon Inn, will enable the school to extend the Breakfast Club to more children in the area and make sure its immediate future is secured.
A breakfast club ensures that students have access to a substantial, healthy breakfast before school, to give them the best chance at a proper start to the day.
A good morning meal has been scientifically proven to improve learning, focus and behaviour in an eduction environment.
“I’m sure people don’t need me to convince them that a healthy, substantial breakfast is better for their education, it’s better for their health and it’s better for their wellbeing,” said Mr Hylton.
“One in three children living in South Leicester are living in homes below the poverty line, which means they’re not getting three square meals a day, which is absolutely atrocious in 2022,” he added.
“I’m sure we can agree that whoever’s fault that is, whether that’s the government that aren’t funding schools in the way they should be, or the responsibility of the parents and the community, the person who’s fault it is isn’t the kids that have hungry bellies.”
The first fundraising event taking place at The Salmon, will be a ‘Books and Bakes Sale’ on January 29.
To keep up with upcoming fundraising events, follow ‘The Salmon’ on Facebook.
To donate to the cause, visit: www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/projectbreakfastclub
By Louise Steel
