Social enterprise scrambles to feed soaring numbers of hungry school children

A social enterprise that provides free breakfasts to primary schools told Channel 4 News today that it has seen a four-fold rise in its waiting list in the last four months, amid fears that child poverty is on the rise. SEL member, Magic Breakfast, has been providing free breakfasts for nine years to UK primary schools where over 50 per cent of pupils are on free school meals.

Are the kids alright?

Magic Breakfast feeds kids too hungry to learn

I have just had a chat with  SEL board member, Carmel McConnell from Magic Breakfast, who has told me what they are going to do to address the fact that only 1 in 100 children in receipt of free school meals ends up going to university

2011, its all about message

Having had some interesting feedback on my 2011 blogs and a quick canteen lunch with Guardian Public Editor, Jane Dudman today I am more convinced than ever that 2011 will be all about getting our message right. As Government measures take hold and the economy reacts I think social enterprise has an unprecedented opportunity, but only if we communicate what we are all about to the uninitiated.

Whilst social enterprise has certainly gripped the imagination of the political class and an increasing number of the public have heard of what we do, few are confident in describing it and fewer still could tell you why it matters. Nothing is more important than fixing this so we recruit the general public en masse to the value of our business model. For far too long we have been absorbed by definitions, a subject that leaves potential enthusiasts cold, always an own goal in my view. We should be shouting from the roof tops stories about social enterprises like Magic Breakfast that work with companies like Quaker to deliver free breakfasts to over 5000 kids in 180 schools, every day. Without Carmel McConnell and her great social enterprise, those children would be going to school too hungry to learn. Folk need to know that when they buy Quaker oats they are contributing to a free breakfast for a hungry child. We are a movement and to gather the critical mass to our cause we have to be punchy, positive as well as passionate.

Schools run as social enterprises? Its not rhubarb you know

My first day back to the office yesterday after Japan and Cornwall, and I was hit by a wall of activity.  The SEL, 'Social enterprise: A brighter future future for schools?' conference on Thursday seems unbelievably well timed.  So much so, that as things stand, I have been lined up on the day for interviews with BBC Breakfast News and Women's Hour.

Following the launch of the Labour manifesto yesterday and the Conservatives today, everyone is talking about communities and social entrepreneurs running public services. The Tory manifesto even includes the following: "Our public service reform programme will enable social enterprises, charities and voluntary groups to play a leading role in delivering public services and tackling deep-rooted social problems." This will be the first time a major conference about that very issue, in the context of education, has been held in public. Those speaking include exemplary educationalists like Sir Michael Wilshaw, Principal of Mossbourne Academy in Hackney, who has shown how schools can excel under the Academy model, and others like Neil McIntosh CEO of fellow social enterprise CfBT Education Trust who are keen to promote the model of social enterprise, to ensure the sustainability of education projects. I can't wait, should be fascinating.

The bottom line for me is that we know there is an appetite for social enterprises like the Parent Promoted Foundation to take over running their local schools where existing management has failed to get a grip. I will not be distracted by the old slurs, that its only pushy middleclass parents wanting to take over everything, or its business trying to come in through the back door. Rubbish.

We have worked closely with some of the leading innovators in this field like Carmel McConnell from Magic Breakfast, June O'Sullivan at London Early Years Foundation and Paul Mason at PPF and we know there are highly qualified people in the wings, desperate to role up their sleeves and get stuck in to sort the intractable problems faced by families in London trying to make their way through the system. They just need an opportunity.

I hope you are enjoying the sun as much as I am. As I love being outside I was in the garden on Saturday and allotment on Sunday. The garden is looking quite good, my roses seem to be bouncing back from the hard winter well, although green fly is aready in evidence! But I also appear to have lost a couple of clematis.  At the allotment my forced rhubarb is nothing short of spectacular.  The colours of the stalks when they emerged from their dark hidding place is almost unearthly, and the taste is a delight. Subtle and not at all tart as my allotment neighbour Ben said in his text to me on Sunday having enjoyed the stalks I gave him.

                                                    Sam with this years stunning rhubarb

I promised an update on the decorating. I managed, with the help of my friend Sarah to finish the hall stairs and landings before setting off to Japan. 2 coats, 3 ceilings, 4lbs of body weight (who needs the gym?), 9 doors, 30 litres of paint and 72 stair spindles later it looks like this......

               The before shot, darker despite
                       the lighter walls I think

Anything but board

Education is very much in the air for social enterprise. I picked up Red Mummy's blog last night thanks to a tip off from Stephen Fry's Tweet which chimed with the things I've been saying about schools. Parents of children in many secondary schools up and down the country are really not happy and they want things to improve. The blog is facinating and echoed  a number of conversations I have had lately.

This morning I met with officers from Lambeth Council and Sarah Neuff from the fantastic development trust, Coin Street Community Builders to launch a really exciting initiative designed to develop social enterprise in the borough. I think Lambeth is really showing its dynamic commitment to social enterprise and I look forward to working on a project which I'm sure will establish the borough's credentials for innovation.

Interestingly Lambeth is the only place in the UK that has succeeded in establishing a parent run school, something I discovered when meeting with Paul Mason from Parent Promoted Foundation this morning.  Paul is leading the monumental struggle of Barnes, Mortlake and East Sheen parents, trying to establish a school in the area that meets children's needs.  The thing I like best about this movement of ours is meeting people like Paul who are real social innovators, fighting to create a world I for one, want to live in.  Parents should be able to run schools, certainly where local authorities have failed; they couldn't do a worse job. In fact, I think they could do an excellent one. Paul told me the Foundation have the backing of 2000 local parents, impressive. He and I worked over possible models, related initiaitives and where social enterprise fitsin - all good stuff. 

I think this growing development in education (exemplified by the work CfBT commisioned SEL to do on social enterprises delivering extended services in schools) is unstoppable. Clearly the existing system needs an injection of responsibility, commitment and enthusiasm.  All qualities you get in spades from people like Paul, working to improve the community for people like me and my family. watch this space for our up and coming conference on this.

This afternoon my lovely board met.  The SEL Board is a meeting place for many of the UK's leading social entrepreneurs, chaired ably today by Sophi Tranchell MD of Divine Chocolate.  During the discussions we learnt from Carmel McConnell of Magic Breakfast about a great deal they've done with Quaker Oats whose packaging now carries a 5p per pack funding commitment to Magic Breakfast, Carmel's social enterprise that currently feeds over 3000 children a day who arrive at London schools too hungry to learn. So go out and buy Quaker Oats people!

Off to a reception for Southwark Leaders now, no rest for the wicked.