What people are saying...
Caroline Dixon (School Governor)
"Please add my name to the petition to save the breakfast clubs."
John Cleverley
"I support the current policy of providing free breakfasts in our area and call upon Linda Arkley to reverse her decision. This type of issue should not get caught up in the Party Political debate and common sense should be paramount."
Julia Cleverley
"I would like to call upon Linda Arkley to remove this issue from the political agenda and continue to provide breakfasts to kids in our area."
Arlene Ainsley (School Governor)
"As Chair of a primary school I know how important the breakfast clubs are. Over 80 children in my schoolenjoy the healthy breakfast every day. Without the breakfast many children will not have the healthy start to the day that they deserve.
"Has the Mayor not seen the evidence of the benefits that a healthy breakfast can bring? Is she so shortsighted that she does not realise the health and educational benefits?
" It is shocking that within a few months of comming to power that she isliterally taking food from our childrens mouths..."
Phillip Sillitoe (Parent)
"I've just signed the petition which I really agree with... I hope you can save the breakfast club, the kids love it and it's really good for them."
Julie Wilson
"I would like to give my support to healthy free school breakfasts I think it's an utter disgrage that this is going to be stopped!!"
Janet Young (Parent)
"Please don't take away the breakfast club, my son loves it, he gets motivated in the morning, heloves eating with other children. It's a great scheme..."
Alison Coxon (Parent)
"Please do not get rid of the breakfast clubs. Not only do my kids love and go to the one at their school, I, like a lot of other parents need the breakfast club to enable me to go out to work. I could not do without it. Please think of working mums."
Bobbi Walker (Parent)
"...free childcare is not an option for us so we appreciate all the small things, especially breakfast club! Please don't cancel our breakfast club!!"
Paul McIntosh (Parent)
"My son goes to breakfast club every morning and loves it, not only the breakfast but also the interaction with other children of all ages."
Fred Sharp (Grandparent)
"My grandson goes to the breakfast club and enjoys having his breakfast with his friends."
Jo Douglas (Parent)
"BAAHUMBUG!! to the Mayor, why doesn't she cut her expences instead, like the Mayor's chauffeur driven car, instead of the breakfast club...."
Karen McNeill (Parent)
"I am absolutely furious at the Mayor for trying to cut out breakfast club, milk and fruit..."
Joanne Ackinclose (Parent)
"This is a service I have used since it started. I am a single parent caring for my 10 year old son, the breakfast club enables me to work longer hours which is vital to my current employment.
"My son also has packed lunches, and the proposed decrease in school meal costs, would be of no benefit whatsover to me, and to hundreds of other parents.
"I and many others rely on breakfast club, and if its withdrawn I may lose my chance of working extra hours which are essential to my income."
Gordon Rowell (Parent)
"This club is a great help for working families as well as been great for the kids themselves".
Kelly Johnson (Parent)
"... I am a mum of three, and work at Westen Community Primary School as the breakfast club co-ordinator. I am very interested in saving the breakfast club, and would be willing to get parents to sign a patition,or any other kind of support to save our club. We have on average 50, children per morning for breakfast, and a lot of our working parents, and none working parents, are worried, about the club finishing.
"The children enjoy comming and we have even raised money at the school fair to buy more equipment for the children to use whilst at the club..."
Jill Candon (Parent)
"Typical Tory. I fully support this campaign. These breakfasts are important. Have any of the children's parent been consulted about these changes? Why is the 'Fuel for kids' model being copied by other local authorities if it is such a failure?"
Beth Candon
"I am a Learning Support assistant in primary school and I understand how vital Fuel 4 Kids is for working families."
Cllr. Norma Redfearn
"I fully support the SaveFuel4Kids campaign, to take away such a proven benefit to our youngsters is morally unacceptable."
Joanne Cassidy (Parent)
"I've signed the petition, I only hope that the Mayor comes to her senses and doesn't cut the breakfasts."
Barbara Seston (Grandmother)
"...it's nice to get a few extra dog poo bins, but it would have been a lot nicer if the bairns could have had their breakfasts...".
Angela Duffin (Parent)
"I fully support this campaign, I have written directly to the Mayor and my local MP and I have also picked up a petition from the school my daughter attends and I am going to get as many people possible to sign also. If there is anything else I can do to help please let me know."
Laura Chamberlain (Parent)
"The free breakfasts and the breakfast clubs give low income working parents the chance to go to work without having to find the cost of a child minder which they could not afford on the money they earn. Without the free breakfast clubs many parents would not be able to work."
Brian Burdis (Lecturer)
"I believe all children have the right to a healthy breakfast no matter their circumstances, fuel4kids provides this and gives all primary school children in North Tyneside the option to participate if their parents so wish."
Carole Gambling (Chair of Tynemouth Labour Party)
"The benefit of a healthy nutritional breakfast are clear; children have better concentration, they are more motivated at school and achieve better results. To disregard the evidence and cut Fuel4Kids is extremely short sighted of the Mayor."
J T White (letter to the Journal 18.09.09)
"...how Dickensian it is in 2009 to hail the scrapping of the borough's school breakfast clubs to cover the cost of limited free parking in Whitley Bay or wherever."
If you wish to endorse the campaign the SaveFuel4Kids Campaign: Contact Us or email:campaign@savefuel4kids.com