Food banks needed in Scotland to help children this summer

Food parcels handed out to children in Scotland rose by more than a fifth last summer, according to new figures.

The Trussell Trust, which runs 135 food banks across Scotland, said 6,551 parcels - with three days worth of food - were given to children in Scotland during the summer holidays last year.

That's a 21% increase on the number of food parcels given out during the previous summer.

Food banks help many children whose family can't always afford things. For those families, food banks are really helpful to make sure children and adults eat properly.

The Trussell Trust also accept essential non-food items such as bathroom products.

It says that families using food banks will carry on this year, which means this summer could be the busiest on record, as parents and adults struggle to feed children over the holidays.

With the summer holidays a month away, the trust is appealing to other families to consider donating to their local food banks if they have any spare items.

They also say that food banks are not a long-term solution and urged the government to step in when it comes to helping families who struggle to afford things.

The Scottish Government has taken action, spending £340,000 so that six charities can offer children breakfast, healthy snacks and a hot lunch, as well as activities during the school holidays.

They say that 46,500 kids are set to benefit in Scotland and that the budget to help families struggling with food has gone up from £500,000 last year to £2 million in 2019-20.

However, Laura Ferguson, operations manager for Scotland at the Trussell Trust, said: "While it's great to see the Scottish Government pledging to tackle holiday hunger, food banks and other emergency food provision cannot, and must not, be a long term to solution to poverty."