Fonterra Doing Good Together helps solve social or community issues for the success of our communities.
Through our actions, we will do the most good by focusing on creating Healthy People, Healthy Environment and Healthy Businesses.
Partnering with Sanitarium and the Ministry of Social Development means all of us can help create goodness for generations and give children the best start to the day – a nutritious breakfast.
KickStart Breakfast is a joint initiative between Fonterra, Sanitarium and the Ministry of Social Development.
The programme is designed to positively impact child well-being through providing access to nutritious food at school. It's helping give our tamariki and rangatahi a boost to both their school day and their future by ensuring they have a healthy start along with a full puku to keep them alert in the classroom.
KickStart Breakfast is the only national breakfast programme of its kind, and has been delivering Anchor™ Milk and Sanitarium Weet-Bix™ to New Zealand schools since term 1 2009. The programme is now serving over 196,000 breakfasts each school week.
In 2008, Fonterra compiled existing research to establish an understanding of food security for children in New Zealand and it was found that 10% of children were attending school without breakfast (CPAG, 2005), which was having an impact on their learning ability and performance at school.
KickStart Breakfast exists to make sure Kiwi kids can get a great start to their school day with a healthy nutritious breakfast.
In July 2024, KickStart Breakfast shared an Impact Report via The Ākina Foundation. Ākina is New Zealand’s leading impact development consultancy, who’ve provided an evaluation and insights into Kickstart Breakfast’s impact on key stakeholders.
Their research really helps celebrate and quantify the significant positive impact of the KickStart Breakfast programme.
Click here to read the Summary Statement.
In 2009, Fonterra and Sanitarium partnered to provide free Anchor™ milk and Sanitarium Weet-Bix™ twice a week to decile 1-4 schools.
The Ministry of Social Development came on board in 2013, extending KickStart Breakfast to up to every school day per week and opening the programme to all schools in New Zealand, regardless of their Equity Index (EQI) (formerly school decile system). The programme is available for primary, intermediate, secondary schools as well as Teen Parenting, special schools and some Alternative Education Providers.
Fonterra provides Anchor™ milk, Sanitarium provides Weet-Bix™ and the Ministry of Social Development support the programme through funding.
It’s up to each school to provide the rest; the bowls and cutlery, the space and the people to run the breakfast club. The KickStart Breakfast team support schools sourcing equipment and how to find volunteers along with running the programme to suit their school’s needs.
Schools share what they love most about KickStart Breakfast
It’s great to hear from the schools and the pupils themselves about what they think of KickStart Breakfast, so, here’s what three schools that do Breakfast Club very differently had to say:
KickStart Breakfast YouTube Channel
Check out more videos on the KickStart Breakfast YouTube Channel.
We value the part we play in our community
Being part of this programme helps forge strong relationships and grow future leaders, while making valuable nutrition available to our tamariki and rangatahi.
What has exceeded expectations are the communities in and out of the schools that have developed from the breakfast clubs and some of the intangible qualities that have come with that – care, nurturing, confidence and connection. We feel fortunate (and a little proud) to be playing a role in these communities.