The Foodbank School Breakfast Program provides free daily breakfast to students in participating schools across the Territory, aiming to combat hunger and increase attendance.

Launched in 2005, the Foodbank SA & NT School Breakfast Program sources wholesome, nutritious breakfast options from across the food and grocery supply chain and delivers them to 63 schools across the Territory – 48 in the Top End and 15 in Alice Springs.

The impact of the program is undeniable, with breakfast shown to have a positive influence on physical and mental health, social skills, concentration, behaviour, attendance and academic outcomes.

For Foodbank SA & NT CEO, Greg Pattinson, the feedback received from schools and families is evidence the program makes a difference.

“School staff are telling us the program means students begin their day well fed and ready to focus on learning, while families are telling us they have peace of mind and can stretch their household budgets that little bit further,” he says.

Many of the participating schools in the Northern Territory are in remote locations where access to consistent meals can sometimes be challenging.

“Foodbank is the only charity that has the scale, capacity and capability to undertake high volume food distribution across the Northern Territory and we rely on financial support from the corporate sector to procure food and transport it,” Mr Pattinson says.

The need for financial support is growing for the School Breakfast Program as Foodbank experiences increased demand to support households facing historically high levels of food insecurity due to cost of living pressures.

“Unfortunately, more than 37 per cent of households in the Territory are experiencing food insecurity, with one in two households with children experiencing hunger,” Mr Pattinson says.

“With the growing level of demand for food relief in the Territory, our School Breakfast Program is imperative to getting food to children who may otherwise go without.”

The INPEX-led Ichthys Joint Venture is proud to partner with Foodbank to support the School Breakfast Program.

“Partnering with organisations making a real difference in the communities we operate in is important to INPEX and the Ichthys Joint Venture.” says INPEX General Manager Northern Territory Richard Finch.

“The Foodbank School Breakfast Program is a wonderful opportunity to give Territory students the best start to the day and to their learning journeys longer term.”

In an effort to make an even greater impact, a Foodbank warehouse in Katherine is set to open in 2025, which will support many of the remote communities across the Territory, supporting food security for those in need.

For more information, visit foodbank.org.au