Food banks struggle during school holidays

Food banks struggle during school holidays

Food banks across the country are appealing for extra help to feed children during the school holidays, as a gap in school meals provision leads to higher demand and the drying up of donations.

Anti-poverty charity, The Trussell Trust, has called on the public to donate to their local foodbanks during the summer holidays to supply enough food to families who usually rely on free school meals to feed their children. Last year a report by the all-party-parliamentary group on hunger concluded that parents would be spending an extra £40 a week per child to make up for the lack of free school meals during the holidays.

Local authorities and charities have reported a rise in demand for projects supporting families during the holidays, including children’s clubs run by foodbanks. Factors such as the higher cost of living and the rollout of universal credit have been blamed.

During the 2017 summer holidays, foodbanks supplied more than 204,525 three-day emergency supplies, 74,011 of which went to children. In the preceding two months, 70, 510 went to children.

If you have food you can donate, speak to your local foodbank about how you can help.

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