BRADFORD’s schools will benefit from hundreds of thousands of pounds in extra funding this year due to the newly introduced “sugar tax”.

The money will be given to the district’s schools as part of the Healthy Pupils Capital Fund – the official name of the levy on soft drinks containing added sugar which came into being earlier this month.

The money, collected by the Government, can be used by the schools to boost their facilities in a bid to get young people more active, or to introduce healthy eating groups such as breakfast clubs.

The Government will add a levy of 18p on drinks with 5g-8g of added sugar per 100ml, and 24p for drinks with 8g of added sugar or more per 100ml.

The decision has led to several retailers and companies altering the recipes of their fizzy drinks in a bid to avoid the levy or reduce its impact.

The allocations for 2018/19 have seen Bradford Council awarded £328,122 in HPCF funding to go towards council-run schools.

On top of that amount, £147,609 has been allocated to Bradford’s voluntary aided schools.

A number of academy trusts based in Bradford, or with schools in Bradford, have also been allocated money.

The Beckfoot Trust, which includes four secondary schools, three primaries and two special schools, gets just over £68,000.

Bradford Diocesan Academies Trust, which has 14 local schools, has been awarded £84,900, and the Dixons Academies Trust will get £42,790 to share between its eight schools, all but one of which are based in Bradford.

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The Tauheedul Education Trust gets £95,600 to be shared between its schools, some of which are in Bradford.

The banner of schools that belonged to the collapsed Wakefield City Academy Trust, including three primary schools in the Bradford District, have been allocated £138,520 between them.

The Government has said the fund is intended to improve children’s and young people’s physical and mental health by improving and increasing availability to facilities for physical activity, healthy eating, mental health and wellbeing and medical conditions. Money can be spent on improving outdoor areas of schools, pitches and sports facilities, and modification of facilities to improve accessibility for pupils.