Youth Sport Trust is helping to make school mornings more active as part of the Department for Education's free breakfast club programme.
Every free breakfast club has just received a box of LEGO bricks, and will soon receive a Youth Sport Trust Young Leaders Active Start Pack and a voucher for sports equipment from Sports Directory. Together they give schools practical tools to offer more play, movement and connection at the start of the school day.
The Active Start Pack is designed to put children in the lead. Young leaders will introduce games, encourage others to join in and help their peers find new ways to be active together. Schools can use it to start a youth-led approach or build on sport leadership they already run, helping young people grow in confidence, develop new skills and help others feel included.
The charity says this matters most for children who face barriers to taking part or have fewer chances to be active beyond the school day. With schools working to tackle absence, sport and play before lessons also create time to have fun, build friendships and strengthen a sense of belonging in the school community.
Ali Oliver MBE, Youth Sport Trust CEO, said: "Empowering young leaders to deliver inclusive, peer-led opportunities has always been central to the work we do at the Youth Sport Trust and is a significant influencing factor in young people's engagement with sport. Free breakfast clubs offer a chance to help children start the day positively by getting moving and feeling more connected to their school community."
Minister Paul Waugh said the new LEGO sets, sports activities and equipment would give "hundreds of thousands more children an even more active and playful start to their school day", adding that families are feeling the benefits too, with a less stressed start to the day and savings of hundreds of pounds each year.
Chris Kemp, General Manager at Sports Directory, said: "How children start the day matters. Free Breakfast Clubs give children a valuable opportunity to move, play and connect with others before the school day begins, which can have a significant impact on their readiness to learn, among many other benefits."
Youth Sport Trust Young Leader resources are also available at no cost to every school that registers for an account on the charity's Training and Resources Hub.
For the sport for good sector, it is a simple idea at real scale: use a time when children are already in school and fed, hand the lead to young people, and make being active the easy, everyday choice, especially for those who miss out after the bell.
Source: Youth Sport Trust, 23 October 2026, https://www.youthsporttrust.org/news-listings/news/free-breakfast-clubs-to-help-get-children-moving-and-playing