Dundee University cuts support for free breakfasts and food pantry

Dundee University has cut support for free breakfast and food pantry schemes introduced to help the poorest students cope with the spiralling cost of living.

Introduced two years ago, the services provided over 54,000 free breakfasts and 188,000 pantry items to struggling students.

But the university says it had to take the “hard decision” to scrap the service, as part of significant savings to address a £30 million budget black hole.

Insiders say it will badly affect those whose families are unable to give them significant financial support.

‘Do students have confidence?’

One student told The Courier: “It is almost as if the university wanted to laser-target some of the most marginalised students to pay for the crisis of the leadership’s making.

“They spend over a third of a billion pounds every year but would prefer to give our flighty former principal a £300,000 salary instead of funding an essential student service.

“It’s no surprise staff have no confidence in the misleadership of our university.

“Do students have confidence? Does the Scottish Government? Does anyone?”

Dundee University has a financial crisis to manage. Image: Kim Cessford/DC Thomson

North East Greens MSP Maggie Chapman, who covers Dundee, said students should not be forced out of education because they cannot afford to eat.

“Dundee University has provided the money for this vital food support as an important part of its work to ensure students, regardless of background, can pursue their education ambitions,” she said.

“I doubt that many senior managers at the university struggle to pay for food – their expenses accounts including five-star hotels and the like certainly suggest not.

“I urge them to reconsider this decision and continue to provide this vital support for students.”

A spokesman for the university said: “The Campus Pantry and the provision of free breakfasts via the Students’ Association were initiatives we put in place more than two years ago, in recognition of wider cost of living issues at that time.

“We appreciate these volunteer-led activities are highly valued by some students, but the university needs to make significant savings to help with our financial recovery, which does require hard decisions to be made.

“While these initiatives have now ceased, we are exploring some alternative provision of of services. Wider support is also available to students who are in need.”