Partnership approach to tackling holiday hunger – Royal Borough of Greenwich

• Lead Member Greenwich Royal Borough
• Categories Poverty, Young People

The past decade has seen increases in rates of food poverty across the country. Over the last decade, incomes after housing costs have fallen and food prices have risen in real terms. For many low income families this has meant that it has been real struggle to provide good quality, nutritious meals for their children.

During term-time, these in-need children receive free school meals. However, in school holidays these meals are not available. For households on a stretched budget, providing meals during the holidays is an additional burden. National and local research has found that children often return to school in poorer health following longer periods without regular Free School Meals.

In response to this challenge, the Council, in partnership with Greenwich Cooperative Development Agency (GCDA), has developed a comprehensive holiday meals service. This service will provide over 8,400 meals a year across 11 venues. These venues include community centres, children centres, adventure playgrounds, youth clubs and leisure centres. As well as providing nutritious meals the venues also offer activities to promote healthy eating and healthy lifestyles.

This partnership approach sees 10 organisations brought together to help deliver this service with the Council providing funding for the meals. This funding model was agreed as part of the Council’s new Social Mobility Delivery Plan.

Once in operation, it is intended that we look to add additional services to the scheme to support these in-need families.

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