Free breakfast club opens for cash-strapped students
UWS offers to feed students twice a week to save them money
Last updated 26th Sep 2022
Students in Glasgow and the west who're struggling with the cost of living crisis are being offered free breakfasts to fuel up for their studies.
The University of the West of Scotalnd's announced it will offer students a kick-start to the day at its twice-weekly Breakfast Club.
The initiative also aims to "make a small difference" as many continue to struggle with rising food and energy prices.
The launch comes as Monday marks Better Breakfast Day, which seeks to promote the importance of the first meal of the day.
READ MORE: Fears falling pound will fuel inflation
Support for students
Dr Lucy Meredith, interim principal and vice-chancellor of UWS, said: "At UWS, we are here for our students, and this is another example of how we are supporting them during their studies.
"With costs increasing in many areas of life, we are hopeful that this will make a small difference in ensuring our students are fuelled up for the day ahead.
"Not only will they have a healthy kick-start to their day, but breakfast is known to positively impact learning and general health.
"Research shows the impact skipping breakfast can have on learning and this initiative demonstrates our commitment to the mental and physical wellbeing of our students.
"It's fantastic to be back together on our campuses again and eating with others has proven benefits. I would like to thank our catering staff and everyone involved in supporting us with the Breakfast Club."
READ MORE: What the 'mini-budget' means for Scots
Student union welcome
Rebecca Grant, president of UWS's students' union, added: "We are delighted to see the Breakfast Club launching at the university to support our students.
"It will bring so many benefits and it's a great opportunity to catch up with classmates and students from the wider UWS community."
How prices have sprilled
Interest rates and inflation go up
Inflation rose by 8.8% in the 12 months to January 2023, down from 9.2% in December 2022. With interest rates also rising to 4%, those saving money will earn more interest on their finances, whilst those paying mortgages would pay more interest to the bank.
Energy bills
The price of energy went up incredibly as the cost of living crisis hit, with the gas price spike caused largely by the war in Ukraine. The price cap - which is set by an independent regulator to help offset costs onto customers - was set to rise to £3,549 for an average home in October but a price freeze from the government restricted the typical bill to £2,500. That's still an increase of 27% from the previous energy cap and as it's a cap on unit cost, the more energy you use the higher your bill will be.
Food prices
The cost of a weekly shop also has gone up as a result of the cost of living crisis. As a result of the war in Ukraine, a number of products including cooking oils and wheat have been disrupted. This means that several products are now considerably more expensive, driving bills up for customers.
Prices at the pumps
The average cost of petrol has also rose to unprecedented levels. Supply lines for petrol have been thrown into doubt as a result of the war in Ukraine, as Russia is a large export partner for gas, oil and fuel. In April 2022, the average price for a litre of petrol on the forecourt was 160.2p, whilst a litre of diesel would cost 170.5p. By late June 2022 the price had risen to an average of 190.9p for a litre of unleaded and 198.9p for a litre of diesel. In March 2023 the price wass on average of 147.03 in petrol and 167.04 in diesel.
Average cost of filling up a car with petrol hits £100
On 9th June 2022, the average cost of filling up a car with petrol hit £100 for the first time ever. Diesel had already hit that milestone. It comes as the cost of fuel hit a record high of one pound eighty a litre. The 2p rise was the biggest daily jump in 17 years. Prices have dropped by at least 20p per litre since the high point.
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