More than 800 Hartlepool children fed by holiday hunger scheme as figures reveal extent of those in need

Hartlepool Borough Council’s ‘Filling The Holiday Gap’ scheme helps families with school-aged children who may otherwise face acute food poverty during the holidays due to missing out on free school meals.

The council provides usually provides funding to public sector and voluntary and community sector (VCS) organisations and other charitable groups to serve up meals for children they work with.

This summer, Councillors Leisa Smith and Sue Little went out and collected food which was made up into parcels to last throughout August complete with recipes designed by Cllr Smith.

Building on the success of the council’s food parcel scheme during the Covid-19 crisis operated by the Hartlepool Support Hub, Public sector, VCS and other charitable groups were asked to identify families work with who were in need of one of the food parcels.

A total of 16 groups applied resulting in them distributing 370 food parcels which helped 830 children.

Councillors Smith and Little called on friends and family, plus some council staff and volunteers, to pack the parcels at the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) ready for distribution this week.

Councillor Smith, Chair of the Council’s Children’s Services Committee, said: “The summer holiday period can put a lot of financial pressure on some families and it is real credit to everyone involved in the project that we have been able to help so many children in our town who would otherwise have been at serious risk of going hungry.”

The parcels contained bread, potatoes, tins, and fresh fruit and vegetables.

Comments from groups distributing the parcels included: “On behalf of the children from all parts of the town who received your kindness, thank you so much” and “The surprise on the faces of those families receiving the parcels really said it all.”

Council Leader Cllr Shane Moore added: “We are really pleased with the take-up on the scheme and it is really heartening to know that, thanks to this town-wide partnership, we have been able to avoid hundreds of children in our most vulnerable families going hungry over the school holidays.”

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