At the end of last year, we formally concluded our partnership with Magic Breakfast – a charity dedicated to seeing a UK where every child is nourished, empowered, and thriving. As we draw this chapter to a close, we’re proud to look back on a partnership filled with meaningful moments and real impact.
Our Journey Together:
Our relationship with Magic Breakfast began in February 2022, when the charity won a staff vote and captured the support of colleagues across Barratt Redrow. Following the vote, the Barratt Redrow Foundation (then, the Barratt Foundation) donated £100,000 to help expand their breakfast provision for children and young people experiencing food insecurity.
Later that year, more than 100 colleagues travelled to the Lake District to take on the Big Barratt Hike in support of the charity, raising an incredible £65,000.
In October 2023, the Foundation entered a formal two‑year partnership with Magic Breakfast, supported by a £500,000 donation. Together, we set out to help the charity deliver nourishing breakfasts to children across the UK – and to champion the vital role of proper nutrition in helping young people learn, concentrate, and reach their potential.
Throughout this partnership period, Magic Breakfast has supported over 300,000 children and young people every day, ensuring no child is too hungry to learn.
Thanks to the generosity of our colleagues, who raised £139,439, our combined total of donations and fundraising reached an incredible £739,439 – helping to provide 2.6 million breakfasts to children and young people across the UK.
Standout Moments from Our Partnership
Magic Makers Christmas Support
In December, three Barratt Redrow divisions took part in Magic Breakfast’s Magic Makers initiative. Volunteers purchased gifts from school wish lists, wrapped them, and delivered them directly to pupils at three partner primary schools.
One child described it as “the best morning ever,” while another – who had never opened a present before – found the experience “truly magical.” Some colleagues even dressed as Santa, making the day unforgettable for pupils facing particularly challenging circumstances.
Inspiring Futures Through Aspiration Days
Colleagues also volunteered at local Magic Breakfast partner schools to deliver Aspiration Days, engaging pupils and sparking curiosity about future careers. By sharing their own career journeys, volunteers helped students understand the wide range of opportunities available to them and encouraged them to think about their futures with confidence.
Spotlight: Yorkshire West’s Annual Pub Quiz
For the past three years, Barratt Redrow’s Yorkshire West division has hosted an annual Charity Pub Quiz for Magic Breakfast. Their ongoing commitment is a testament to the dedication of Barratt Redrow colleagues in supporting Magic Breakfast and championing their mission year after year.
We are incredibly proud of everything achieved through our partnership with Magic Breakfast. Their mission to champion and provide nourishing breakfasts that help children and young people learn and thrive, remains as important as ever, and we are honoured to have contributed to that effort over the past two years.
Here’s what Magic Breakfast had to say about our partnership:
Looking back on our time together, what impact has our partnership had on the children and young people you support?
Liz Little, Head of Corporate Partnerships:
The Barratt Redrow Foundation partnership has been transformational for children and young people at Magic Breakfast partner schools. This partnership has directly funded 500,000 nutritious, barrier-free breakfasts – the equivalent of feeding 3,000 children and young people for all of key stage 3.
For children and young people in our partner schools, breakfast is more than just food. Take Sam, 14, who arrives at school 90 minutes early. He has already taken two buses across the city, leaving home before sunrise. When he walks through the school gates, he is quiet – tired, hungry, and running on empty. He has not eaten since lunchtime the day before. When Sam finally sits down to eat, he eats as much as some of his classmates might have had for dinner the night before and their breakfast that morning — because this is his first meal in almost 20 hours. For Sam, breakfast club is not just food. It is energy. It is focus. It is the start of a day where he can finally learn, laugh, and feel like any other child.
But this partnership has gone beyond simply breakfast – the Barratt Redrow Foundation also helped us research and innovate to increase breakfast uptake in secondary school settings. This year we were able to pilot programmes such as our Breakfast Ambassadors scheme that help increase the uptake of breakfast for secondary school students through skill development and activities that promote connection and belonging within the school community. Thanks to the support of Barratt Redrow, these initiatives ensure that we are providing breakfast and ensuring that every child is nourished, empowered and thriving and they are critical to our learning and growth as an organisation.
Is there a standout moment or story from our journey together that really captures what we’ve achieved?
Lindsey MacDonald, CEO:
We simply couldn’t pick only one moment! On a personal note, I have had the pleasure of joining Andy from The Barratt Redrow Foundation and colleagues from across the business at many events throughout our partnership; not least the Big Barratt Hike in 2022!
Andy has also attended our annual Thought Leadership Dinner over the past three years and provided such valuable insight and contributed to our direction as a charity. In a thoughtful and strategic way, helping us address key challenges, such as rising food costs, and seize new opportunities in our business plan. These contributions have significantly supported our growth and impact as an organisation. Helping us to reach more than 300,000 children and young people daily with a nutritious breakfast and helping us to advocate for national policies that remove hunger from the classroom in a sustainable and inclusive way. Barratt Redrow’s support and approach means that the impact of the partnership will continue well beyond its three years, and we are incredibly grateful for their lasting contribution to our journey and mission.
Sorcha Young, Corporate Partnerships Manager for Barratt Redrow Foundation:
For me, the Barratt Redrow employee’s commitment to going beyond breakfast has really brought to light their commitment to building young people’s futures. I was delighted to attend one of the Barratt Redrow Aspiration Days, with volunteers engaging children and young people directly in conversations about the staff’s job roles and career journeys. These days are transformative for young people, opening their eyes to future pathways and helping them reach their potential. The Barratt Redrow volunteers were incredible – bringing hard hats and safety vests for the young people, providing visual pictures of their jobs and one volunteer even joining as the House mascot for the children to take a photo with! I can’t put it better than one of the volunteers “This made my day…we all came away smiling”. With over 11 divisions volunteering their time throughout the partnership, it is a testament to the energy and impact they can make for children and young people.
