Primula Cheese profits help pupils in poverty

Kavli Trust, owner of the famous Primula Cheese, have funded a £170,000 project to battle the impact of child poverty in our region. 

Children North East will work in collaboration with sixty schools across the North East, to introduce Poverty Proofing© the School Day programme. The programme will work with pupils, families and staff to identify ways that children are missing out at school due to money and come up with solutions. 

According to government data, 38% of North East children live in poverty. Children living in poverty are more likely to experience low attainment, bullying and go hungry during the school day. 

Lorna Nicoll, Poverty Proofing the School Day Manager, explains, “School can be expensive. Uniforms, lunches and trips add up and we know that families, including many not eligible for free school meals, struggle to make ends meet or get into debt trying to keep up. We listen to pupils and the school community and then work with the school to come up with bespoke, creative ways to make things easier whether it’s second-hand uniform schemes, changing the times of clubs, ensuring activities don’t require materials or allowing kids to use their free school meal allowance across both break and lunch.” 

Kavli Trust operates across four countries and has a strong presence in the North East, manufacturing its famous squeezy cheese in Gateshead. Every penny of profit Kavli brands such as Primula generates is invested in good causes, 70% within its operating countries, making £7.8m of charitable investment in 2021 alone. 

The project is expected to directly benefit 8,400 pupils in first year and many more whose families are facing financial difficulty. Students attending the school in future years will also benefit. 

Paul Lewney, Managing Director at Kavli UK, commented, “We are very proud to fund this important work improving the lives of children and families across the North East. For sixty years, all profits from Kavli brands, including Primula Cheese, have been used to support good causes making a difference to individuals in their local communities and to society as a whole. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this latest partnership creates.” 

Leigh Elliott, Chief Executive at Children North East, said, “Kavli Trust’s generous support for our Poverty Proofing© work has made it possible to help schools create a school day in which every child can take part fully, regardless of their financial background. The funding could not come at a more important time as more families see their finances stretched by the rising cost-of-living.”