Hackney Foodbank to serve 500 lunches for schoolchildren over summer holiday

Food and drink prices in the UK rose by 19.2% in the year to March 2023

A foodbank in London says it expects to provide over 500 lunches for children this summer as families struggle with the cost of living.

Hackney Foodbank says it urgently needs more people to sponsor its summer holiday lunch club to ensure children do not go hungry this summer.

The foodbank already delivers 650 emergency food parcels a week.

A recent report on poverty in the UK found Hackney to have London's fourth highest level of child poverty.

Levels were only worse in Tower Hamlets, Newham and Barking and Dagenham.

It is estimated that 700,000 families in London are living in poverty.

'Massive demand'

Jenna Fansa, a volunteer at Hackney Foodbank told the BBC: "Many families can't afford the basics like food and having to provide an extra lunch for their children now they aren't at school over the holiday is a real pressure for them.

"We are currently seeing massive demand - in June we fed twice as many people as we did last year in the same month".

Jenna Fansa says there has been a huge demand in the number of people visiting the foodbank

Visitors referred to the east London Foodbank for lunch club this year will be offered vouchers which will enable parents to choose lunches for their children from local stores.

It means they will be able to choose food that meets their dietary or cultural needs. 

Pat Fitzsimons, the foodbank's chief executive, said: "45% of children in Hackney live in poverty and it's a sad fact that many parents struggle to provide three meals a day during the holidays.

"Many of our visitors are working people who simply don't earn enough to manage.

"We have a duty of care to ensure children in our community have enough to eat."Food and drink prices in the UK rose by 19.2% in the year to March 2023 - the highest rate in over 45 years.

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