Schemes to reduce holiday hunger
Fiona Simpson
Tuesday, August 2, 2022
Local authorities and organisations supporting vulnerable families are providing food and activities for children facing food poverty over the school holidays.
Food redistribution charity FareShare has warned that as many as three million children are at risk of going hungry this summer amid soaring living costs.
Latest Department for Education figures show that more than nine million children were eligible for free school meals during the last academic year, an increase of 88,000 from 2020/21.
Some 22.5 per cent of all pupils are now eligible for free school meals compared with 20.8 per cent in 2020/21, the figures show.
A study by Coram Family Childcare found that that the cost of holiday childcare has risen by five per cent since 2021, with the average cost now £147.70 a week, double the cost of places during term time.
Six weeks’ worth of holiday childcare will cost families around £900 this summer.
The government has pledged £200m each year to 2025 for its Holiday Activities and Food programme for children eligible for free school meals.
However, campaigners, including Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, have called on government to expand eligibility for free school meals to all children whose families are in receipt of Universal Credit to increase access to the funding.
Charities, supermarket chains and local authorities across the country have launched holiday schemes to support vulnerable families struggling with the cost of school holidays.
CYP Now highlights a handful of those supporting children this summer:
Western Distribution Power
Families struggling to afford food this summer holiday are being supported by £500,000 of cash grants from Western Power Distribution (WPD).
The electricity network operator has awarded more than half a million pounds from its Community Matters Fund to charities, local councils and community groups in the South West, Wales and the Midlands to help families struggling to afford food.
FareShare
FareShare’s #RunningOnEmpty campaign is supporting millions of families unable to afford food over the summer.
The charity is also calling on businesses and members of the public to donate specific food items to be distributed to summer holiday schemes to support 50,000 children over the summer break.
Felix Project
London-based Felix Project has launched Felix’s Kitchen in Tower Hamlets which will use surplus food to create ready meals for families in need.
It expects to deliver 1,000 meals a day for school children and families over the summer holidays
Local authorities
Councils across England are offering free places at holiday clubs, which provide meals, to children eligible for free school meals.
Parents are encouraged to check contact their local authority, or check its website, to book free places available to eligible children.
Free meal offers
Supermarkets including Tesco, Asda and Sainsbury’s are offering free children’s meals with the purchase of other items from their in-house cafes over the summer holidays.
Tesco is offering a free children’s meal, worth up to £3.25, to Clubcard holders with any item they buy at the retailer’s 311 cafes between 25 July and 26 August.
Asda is selling children’s meals for £1, with no minimum adult spend and children can eat for free in Morrisons cafes when adults purchase a meal for £4.99 or more.
Schemes for refugees
Local authorities and youth work providers have offered free activities for children whose families have moved to England as part of the government’s Homes for Ukraine and Ukraine Families schemes.
Camp Beaumont, the UK’s biggest summer camp provider for children, is offering 10,000 places for Ukrainian children aged five to 16 at 40 camps across London and the South East.
Is your organisation supporting vulnerable children and families this summer? Send details to fiona.simpson@markallengroup.com
