3400 free meals given out at Flintshire play schemes last week in bid to combat ‘holiday hunger’

An ambitious programme aimed at preventing kids from going hungry during the summer holidays delivered 3400 free meals to Flintshire play schemes in its first week.

Flintshire County Council has partnered with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, Clwyd Alyn Housing Association and Travis Perkins Managed Services to launch the holiday hunger initiative at the start of the school holidays this summer.

The “Share Your Lunch” initiative is targeting those area’s of Flintshire where a high proportion of children receive free school meals and during term time guaranteed hot food.

A spokesperson for the partnership said:

“Children are going hungry because their parents cannot afford to buy food.

It is a shocking statement to make, but there are families in Flintshire who are in food poverty, unable to afford, or to have access to, food to make up a healthy diet.”

“To help combat this unacceptable situation, Flintshire County Council and its partners have joined forces with “Can Cook” to launch this ambitious programme “Share Your Lunch” providing over 18,700 free meals – up to 625 meals a day – over the six week summer holiday period to 20 play schemes throughout Flintshire.

This is huge undertaking and a first for the region.”

Can Cook is a social enterprise based in Liverpool which was set up in 2007 as a food organisation working with people living in South Liverpool who didn’t have basic cookery skills.

Working with @BBCCiN. This is the quality of work delivered this week:
✅ Holiday Hunger = 3,400 free meals delivered
✅ Teaching Cookery = 120 YP taught
✅ School/ nursery meals = 2000 meals delivered
✅ Campaigning = lobbying @UKLabour
This is real community business. pic.twitter.com/8e91XGtMQy

— Can Cook (@CanCookKitchen) July 27, 2018

They specialise in catering for children and older people, and primarily provide services specific to these age groups.

Flintshire County Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Bernie Attridge, said:

“Share Your Lunch is an ambitious project which will make a real difference to hundreds of people in our community. Children should not have to go hungry in this day and age.

This is a huge undertaking and a first for this region.

We have targeted the areas in the County where there are a high percentage of children who receive free school meals.

This is because during term time these children are guaranteed a hot meal five days a week and the six week summer holiday period creates a real financial challenge for these families and children who are potentially going without balanced meals.”

Robbie Davison of Can Cook who is providing the meals over the six week school holiday period said:

“We ran a similar scheme in Liverpool last year, but this scheme is much bigger.

It’s a sad fact that 8 out of every ten people who go hungry in this country get no help.

We are here to change that – this scheme is massively important because every day during the school holidays every child will receive the best meal possible.

Everyone involved in this should be really proud of what we are achieving together. This is probably the largest response to holiday hunger in Wales and England.”