Free summer meals hailed as a lifeline... but more must be done
School scheme to be rolled out to struggling families
More than 6,500 children in Renfrewshire have been saved from a summer of hunger as a school meals holiday scheme is rolled out.
The £440,000 initiative will see parents and carers of children who currently receive a free school lunch paid £11.25 per child per week.
The payment will also be awarded to those families who receive the free school clothing grant in Renfrewshire throughout the six-week holiday.
The move has been called a lifeline for Renfrewshire families whose children would normally be invited to the local authority’s Families First summer camps, where a hot meal is served up to each child every day.
The camps, for children in P1 to P4 and qualifying older siblings, also offer a daily programme of fun activities for vulnerable youngsters.
With the camps unable to go ahead as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, Paisley campaigners say the additional weekly payments will allow lowincome families to put food on the table.
Anti-poverty campaigner Terry McTernan, from Ferguslie Park, welcomed the additional funding but said for many households it will not go far enough.
“This was such an obvious decision to take to combat holiday hunger and food insecurity,” he said.
“It is a positive thing for many families but it is not as far reaching as it could be.
“For other families who are living with in-work poverty, this will not apply to them.
“People on the minimum wage, who have been furloughed and seen their already low wages slashed by 20 per cent, they too need help to put food on the table.”
Funded by the Scottish Government, the summer scheme is an extension of the free school lunch payments that have been issued to parents to help cover food costs since schools closed at the end of March.
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed on Tuesday that cash would be made available to local authorities to continue the scheme throughout summer.
Renfrewshire Council said the money would support thousands of Renfrewshire families struggling financially, adding that the most vulnerable children in the area would be offered a place at the summer camps where the children of key workers will be looked after.
Councillor Jim Paterson, convenor of the education and children’s services board, said: “We will be providing critical childcare for key workers and vulnerable families over the summer holidays, staffed by council and Renfrewshire Leisure employees.
“Children and young people attending will receive a school meal. For children who normally attend a Families First summer club, they will be included in the free school meal summer provision.”
He added: “We already have established health and well-being projects, such as Place 2 Be, PaTHS, and Renfrewshire Nurturing Relationships Approach, that provide vital social and emotional support for children and young people.
“These projects are particularly important during difficult times for children and young people, now so more than ever.
“Our education psychology service team is also providing children and families with support to cope during the Covid- 19 pandemic. Parents and young people can approach their school to access this service.”
The school lunch funding comes days after the Scottish Government confirmed Renfrewshire will receive £4.5million as part of its Attainment Challenge Fund.
The money will help the council continue its work to close the poverty-related attainment gap and improve attainment for all by supporting literacy, numeracy and wellbeing initiatives.
It is a positive thing for many families but it is not as far reaching as it could be