FREE breakfasts are being offered to 50 youngsters in Burnley from today to give them some extra energy for their summer break.

Supporters of Burnley Wood Community Centre, Springfield Road, are aiming to “bridge the gap” over the holidays when school breakfast clubs are closed.

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Centre manager Karen Heseltine has secured nearly £10,000 from the National Lottery’s Awards for All programme to back the initiative.

“We noticed that some of the children, over the last summer holidays, were looking a little underweight,” said Karen.

“And we thought that it might be because the breakfast clubs they use don’t operate during the summer holidays.”

Centre staff are being assisted with the holiday breakfast club by Warburton’s, Asda and Tesco, who will be providing provisions and loaning staff to serve up the grub.

While the breakfasts will be offered on a first come, first served basis, Karen is confident there should be enough to go around for any late arrivals.

The centre will open between 8.30am and 9.30am, offering cereals, toast, fresh fruit, yoghurts and other healthy alternatives.

“We want to give them fresh fruit and grains which will give them energy and set them up for the day,” added Karen.

Breakfast clubs are offered at the two Burnley Wood primary schools, Springfield and St Stephen’s CE, both of which employ the pupil premium to support their offering. Springfield’s club is hosted in their “living room” and attracts an average of around 25 pupils a day.

The arrival of the holiday breakfast club at the centre will be followed hot on the heels by free arts and crafts sessions for all ages.

Karen confirmed that the venue had been given £3,000 by the East Lancashire Clinical Commissioning Group, under their social prescription programme, to establish the course.

Earlier this year the centre officially gained charity status and has also seen £2,000 provided for 13 new computers, and new windows have been installed all around the former Rehoboth church building, courtesy of the Asda Burnley Foundation.

Thousands of primary school-aged children in East Lancashire already receive free school meals as part of a government initiative.