Parents of school children aged between 5 and 16 in the South East are concerned about the extra financial pressure of this year’s summer holiday, with 40% likely to worry about the extra cost of paying for childcare and activities for their children. 1 in 5 mums and dads surveyed expect to skip a meal during the six-week break so there will be enough food for their children to eat, revealing serious concerns amongst parents looking to this year’s summer holiday.
- 40% of parents in the South East worry about extra costs of paying for childcare this school holiday
- 1 in 5 parents in the South East will skip a meal or more this summer so there will be enough food for their children to eat
- The Trussell Trust saw 5,000 more emergency food supplies given to children by foodbanks in July and August last year compared to previous two months
- Isle of Wight Foodbank urges local families to seek help if they find themselves struggling this summer
Reacting to the new statistics, Isle of Wight Foodbank, part of the UK-wide Trussell Trust network, has urged local families to seek help if they find themselves struggling this summer.
Hannah King, Foodbank Manager says:
“Lots of people are just getting by day-to-day but find their income simply won’t stretch to meet the extra pressure of missing free school meals or paying for extra childcare during the holidays. The foodbank really is run for the community, by the community; it’s all about helping each other and recognising that nobody on the Isle of Wight should face going hungry. Everyone who comes to the foodbank is referred by a professional who holds our vouchers, and that’s why we’d encourage anyone worried they won’t be able to afford food during this school holiday to talk to one of the Children’s Centres or your local Health Visitor”.
Adrian Curtis, Foodbank Network Director at The Trussell Trust said:
“Families who rely on free school meals during term time can find themselves facing hunger in the school holidays, when there is an extra financial pressure to provide main meals. No one knows the full scale of hunger in the South East during the school holidays yet, but these figures make one thing clear: many families are closer to crisis than we think. It should be a wake-up call to us all that so many children will have a parent expecting to skip a meal or more this summer so they can feed the family.
Foodbanks in the South East already provide additional help to families who struggle to put food on the table outside of term time, and our summer pilot of Holiday Clubs is a crucial step in broadening the support offered by foodbanks in the holidays. But foodbanks alone will not end hunger during the school holidays; a long-term coordinated solution between government, businesses, schools and charities will have the most impact.”
If you are struggling and could benefit from the Isle of Wight Foodbank’s help then please view our Get Help Section.