Hot Meals and Homework Wins Education Award
Akshaya Patra UK is delighted to announce that our Hot Meals and Homework (HMHW) programme, delivered in partnership with Djanogly Learning Trust, has received the Trust Collaboration Award at the 2025 MAT Excellence Awards. The honour celebrates the collaborative efforts between our organisations and its meaningful impact on pupils, staff, and the wider community.
In their comments, the judges cited Djanogly Learning Trust and Akshaya Patra UK’s ‘incredible work’ addressing disadvantage and child poverty as a key highlight.
The submission, judges said, was bolstered by its focus on the growing challenges related to child wellbeing, inspiring leaders, closing the disadvantage gap and their regional impact in challenging areas. Strong parental engagement and deepened community spirit led a judge to remark: ‘To have achieved what they have done, I think is unbelievable.’
72 multi academy trusts and 21 companies were shortlisted for the awards, which comprised 18 categories. The winners were announced at a ceremony attended by 440 guests at Leonardo Tower Bridge, London, on 19th June 2025.
Daniel Adams, Chief Executive Officer of Akshaya Patra UK, said: “After 25 years of feeding children across India, Akshaya Patra is pleased to now be making a meaningful impact here in the UK too. Our after-school programme, Hot Meals and Homework, was born from a common belief that every child deserves the fuel to learn and the support to succeed.
“In partnership with Djanogly Learning Trust, we are proud to have created a programme that bridges both the nutrition and attainment gaps for children living in disadvantaged communities. We are delighted to share this award with Djanogly and hope it will spur on further support so we can grow this initiative – ensuring even more children have the opportunity to reach their full potential.”
Mark Mallender, Chief Executive Officer of the Djanogly Learning Trust, said:
“We’re really proud of this project and how it is supporting our local communities in the face of cost of living pressures. Extending the school day to help some of our families with learning coupled with offering a nutritious meal is definitely having an impact.”
He explained: “Children are more attentive because they are not hungry, school attendance has improved, relationships with families have strengthened and parents are more involved in their children’s education. Winning this award in partnership with Akshaya Patra is really positive recognition of that.”
Hot Meals and Homework is Akshaya Patra UK’s after-school programme offering nutritional and curriculum support to help close the attainment gap for disadvantaged children across the country. By addressing both hunger and academic support, we aim to empower every child to reach their full potential.
Read more about our flagship programme at Hot Meals and Homework.