Greggs may be best known for its sausage rolls and budget-friendly bakes, but behind the counters of this high street favourite is a powerful charitable arm making a real difference in communities across the country.
The Greggs Foundation, the bakery chain’s independent grant-making charity, has been working since 1999 to tackle social inequality, support families in need, and put food at the heart of local communities. While Greggs feeds the nation, its foundation works quietly behind the scenes to feed potential, opportunity, and hope.
Breakfast Clubs – A 25-Year Legacy of Support
One of the most well-known initiatives of The Greggs Foundation is its Breakfast Club programme, which began in 1999 with the aim of ensuring schoolchildren had access to a healthy breakfast before starting their day.
Now, 25 years later, it has grown into one of the UK’s largest breakfast club schemes. As of 2024, 1,015 Breakfast Clubs are operating across the country, providing free meals to more than 75,000 children every school day.
The idea is simple but effective — by giving children a nutritious start to their morning, they’re better equipped to learn, focus, and thrive at school.
‘Feeding Brighter Futures’: A New Chapter Launching in 2025
In April 2025, The Greggs Foundation is set to expand its support with the launch of Feeding Brighter Futures — a broader, school-focused programme that builds on the success of the original breakfast scheme.
This new initiative will not only continue to deliver free breakfasts but will also offer:
- Hardship funding for families facing financial difficulty
- After-school and holiday clubs to extend care and support beyond the classroom
- Access to education through a unique partnership with Rethink Food, known as Agents of Change — a programme aimed at delivering over one million hours of food education to 50,000 children over three years
What Does The Greggs Foundation Do?
Operating as an independent charity with its own management team and board of trustees, The Greggs Foundation aims to tackle three major community challenges:
- Addressing poverty and inequality
- Making food central to community wellbeing
- Empowering local organisations to deliver change
Through a mix of targeted grant programmes and partnerships, the foundation helps thousands of individuals and families every year — often by providing the small but critical things that make daily life more manageable.
Grant Programmes and Community Support
The Greggs Foundation currently distributes over £5 million annually to organisations and individuals across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Its core grant schemes include:
📚 Feeding Brighter Futures (Schools)
A continuation of the Breakfast Club legacy, this programme now includes additional school support, funding for hardship needs, and access to nutritional education.
🛠 Hardship Funding
Small grants are available to help families struggling with essential items. These grants can cover things like:
- Clothing and food vouchers
- Beds and bedding
- Household appliances such as cookers, fridge freezers and washing machines
🏡 Community Grants
The Foundation also supports local organisations with up to £20,000 per year in funding. These grants are aimed at groups tackling local issues such as food poverty, social isolation, and mental health and wellbeing.
How to Learn More
The Greggs Foundation may not make the headlines, but its work is vital. With a focus on long-term, grassroots impact, it’s quietly helping to build a stronger, fairer UK — one breakfast, one school, one community at a time.
To find out more about their work, read their latest Impact Report, or apply for funding, visit the official website: greggsfoundation.org.uk