Leeds vice-principal calls for government help with school pantry

Sarah Clynes said staff had been "amazing" donating items to distribute at Dixons Unity Academy

A vice-principal who runs a school pantry for pupils and their families has called for more government funding to replenish depleting stock levels.

Sarah Clynes said demand for supplies at Dixons Unity Academy, in Leeds, was "growing week on week" and financial support for restocking was needed.

Food charities have said school budgets are being squeezed leaving them struggling to fund food initiatives.

The government has been approached for a comment.

The school, in Armley, launched the scheme in April, with the facility open for two hours, once a week.

The school also runs a uniform library and community café to help pupils and their families with the rising costs of living.

However, Ms Clynes said low stock meant staff were left donating food and toiletries themselves to help support the scheme.

"We would love to be open longer, but we just haven't got the stock at the minute. We've been running out week on week because of the demand from the community.

"We do need some money really, school budgets are tight."

Nathan Atkinson, co-founder of food charity Rethink Food, said: "Squeezing of school budgets means that schools are struggling to be able to afford [food] initiatives"

The school has now started a campaign to encourage local businesses to "pledge a bit of money".

"Schools need much more support in this area. We need much more funding. I think the Government needs to recognise that," Ms Clynes said.

"It is not just about the academics, it's about making sure that everybody is healthy and happy and can succeed.

"We want our students to [be] able to thrive."

FareShare, a charity that redistributes surplus food to food banks, said it was serving 45 schools across the region and "helping to feed a combined total of approximately 3,500 people each week during term time" from its bases in Barnsley and Leeds.

Jonathan Williams, head of development at FareShare Yorkshire, said: "Prior to the pandemic and cost of living crisis, the food provided by FareShare would have primarily been used for catering breakfast clubs.

"However, we are now finding that the overwhelming majority of schools we support are passing on food to parents via food banks and pantries alongside offering other services to support families at a challenging time.

"In almost every case, there has been a shift from focusing on the child to helping support the whole family."

Foodbank user Dale said he had to go without food in order to feed his children

One parent, Dale, who did not give his surname, said: "It benefits us all really... because it's just hard."

He said there had been times when he had "gone without just to make sure that my girls have" food.

Nathan Atkinson, who is the co-founder of food charity Rethink Food, said: "We see more schools wanting to do more for their young people, trying to remove that barrier of hunger every day to engage with the children.

"But the reality is that schools now are struggling to be able to fund that. So, whilst the need is there, the squeezing of the school budgets means that schools are struggling to be able to afford initiatives like the Rethink Food education programme to help solve that problem for our young people."