Hanover's free school breakfast programme expands to feed more children

Hanover is expanding its free school breakfast programme to reach more primary schools. The initiative already serves meals at three locations, with thousands of children benefiting since the start of the current school year. City officials have stressed the importance of a healthy morning meal for learning and social development. The programme currently operates at Fichteschule Primary School, Käthe-Paulus Primary School, and Beuthener Straße Primary School. Around 53 children at each school receive breakfast daily, with roughly 19,000 meals served since September 2025.

The city plans to widen the scheme by working more closely with a nonprofit organisation. This group, founded in 2009 by actress Uschi Glas, provides daily breakfasts to about 23,000 children across Germany. Hanover’s education and culture commissioner, Eva Bender, noted that shared breakfasts help build a sense of community among pupils.

Mayor Belit Onay also highlighted the link between nutrition and academic performance. Volunteers, particularly seniors, play a key role by preparing meals and supporting the children. Their efforts have been crucial to the programme’s success. The expansion will bring free breakfasts to more primary schools in the coming months. The city’s partnership with the nonprofit and the work of volunteers will remain central to its operation. Officials expect the programme to improve both learning outcomes and social cohesion among young pupils.