EVERY CHILD
SHOULD HAVE
AN EQUAL
CHANCE IN
LIFE
Dear Colleague,
Six Hungry Weeks
With six weeks of school summer holidays on the horizon I am writing to raise awareness
about the problem of holiday hunger for children who receive free school meals and
encourage you to take steps to reduce holiday hunger, if possible.
Food banks report increases in use by families over school holidays, and with the impact of
welfare reform hitting home, there is rising concern about the impact on children and
families of the lack of school meals over the summer. We are therefore writing to all local
authorities and voluntary organisations in the North East who provide activities for children
over the summer, to encourage them to do what they can to address this issue.
Building on the approach taken by Gateshead Youth Assembly, we recommend that
wherever possible, summer activities run across lunchtime and provide a basic meal. This
is especially important in areas with high numbers of children in receipt of school meals. If
you are providing, funding or commissioning summer activities for children, please take this
into account.
We recognise that budgets are tight, but simple meals can be provided at very low cost.
Food may be available from businesses such as Greggs, from food banks and from other
sources. We are building a resource at www.nechildpoverty.org.uk/holidayhunger that will
share information on what food and provision is available, to ensure that as few local
children as possible go hungry this summer.
I hope that you will join with Children North East, Northern Housing Consortium, Youth
Focus North East, Northumberland Food Bank Network and other in finding ways to reduce
the impact of food poverty on children over this summer and in future holidays, and do
what you can to minimise its effect on the children of the North East.
With best wishes,
Robin Beveridge
Poverty Project Manager
0191 334 9107
07983 408966
[email protected]
www.nechildpoverty.org.uk
Institute of Local Governance
Durham University Business School
Elvet Hill House, Elvet Hill
Durham DH1 3TH