COUNCIL chiefs have revealed they have teamed up with schools and partner organisations to make sure families in need do not go hungry during the Christmas holidays.
Almost £100,000 from the Government’s Winter Covid-19 Grant has been made available to voluntary and charitable organisations working with those in need and will be distributed through Worcestershire Community Foundation.
Worcestershire County Council has also made £650,000 in vouchers available for pupils who receive free school meals so the hardest hit families can still access food during the Christmas break.
Wychavon is also working with the county council and Worcestershire Children First to support the Ready, Steady, Worcestershire scheme. This combines the efforts of a range of organisations and food banks to provide a community response to holiday hunger.
This is on top of £101,000 Wychavon has also passed on to local food banks and almost £27,500 through its Social Mobility Grant.
More than £17,400 has been given to 27 schools to provide food and drinks for all pupils through breakfast and after school clubs and snacks for free school meal pupils.
Various positive activities providers are also being funded to deliver programmes aimed at tackling holiday hunger over Christmas and New Year. This includes providing Christmas meals to young people in bubbles, 40 breakfast hampers to vulnerable families in Evesham and 120 gift packs for families in Droitwich.
Overall, Wychavon has provided about £2.7million supporting people in need and the community response to Covid-19. This includes help for people self-isolating, to pay their fuel costs and their Council Tax bill.
Coun Bradley Thomas, leader of Wychavon District Council, said: “No child should go hungry, especially at this time of the year, so we are doing all we with our partners in local government and the voluntary sector to make sure we support those in need both during and after this pandemic.”
Anyone who finds they are struggling to access food should visit www.worcestershire.gov.uk/here2help for advice and support.
