Charity urges people to “Be a hero – Feed a child” and combat school holiday hunger

FareShare Midlands, the region’s largest food redistribution charity, is launching its
“Be A Hero – Feed A Child” campaign to beat child hunger during the upcoming
school summer holidays. The charity aims to raise £50,000 to provide an additional
200,000 meals to vulnerable children and families across the Midlands.
With 1 million children living in poverty in the Midlands and food insecurity
doubling since the pandemic, many families who rely on school meals face
significant challenges during school closures. In some areas across the Midlands
over 50% of children could go without food this summer without support from
FareShare Midlands and its members. A survey last year revealed that 1 in 4
teachers bring food to school to support hungry children, while over a third of
schools provide food support to children and their families.
Local charities and community groups are struggling to meet the increased demand
from families facing food insecurity. At St Johns Methodist Church, the “Make
Lunch” team provides weekly food parcels to local families in need.
Yvonne Gough, Make Lunch Manager, said: “It’s just a lifeline for [the parents]
because they’re really struggling in the school holidays. Some of our families have
several children. It’s hard for them to keep them fed.”
Simone Connolly, Chief Executive at FareShare Midlands, said “I cannot emphasise
enough the impact the cost of living crisis has on families, particularly during the
long summer holidays. We urgently need donations to help FareShare Midlands
prevent more children than ever from going hungry, and returning to school
disadvantaged from being undernourished”.
FareShare Midlands redistributes surplus food from the food industry and delivers it
to frontline charities and community groups across the Midlands. By supporting the
“Be A Hero – Feed A Child” campaign, donors can help create a safety net for
struggling families and make this summer brighter for children in need across the
Midlands. A donation of just £12.63 will provide a child with nutritious meals for a
week.
Donate to help feed school children this summer:
https://www.faresharemidlands.org.uk/summer-fundraising-campaign