HALF-TERM FOOD VOUCHERS FOR 15,000 CITY CHILDREN
It forms part of a new £2.6 million support programme in Stoke-on-trent
THOUSANDS of schoolchildren across Stoke-on-trent are to benefit from food vouchers as part of a £2.6 million support programme.
Families will have access to the supermarket vouchers to tide them over during next week’s half-term break. They will be worth £15 per child and can be spent at a variety of stores.
Those eligible include pupils on free school meals or with education, health and care plans.
The scheme is an extension of the covid-related support previously available during school holidays. But so far, the Government has only committed to offering help during the pandemic rather than making it a permanent arrangement.
Over the summer break, 15,000 Stokeon-trent
children benefited from the vouchers.
Councillor Abi Brown, leader of Stoke-ontrent City Council, said: “We know there are some families who will be concerned about half-term. We wanted to ensure that they know they can get the vouchers.”
Parents will be contacted by their children’s schools by the end of this week to arrange for the e-vouchers, which are being issued by Wonde.
Supermarkets taking part include Aldi, Asda, Iceland, Mccolls, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco.
Around £240,000 of Stoke-on-trent City Council’s £2.6 million Government allocation will go on the free holiday food for pupils. The rest will support a variety of projects to help residents on low incomes, with details being announced over the coming weeks.
The household support fund will cover things like fuel vouchers to help people meet their energy bills and also help to buy winter clothing.
Mrs Brown said the council will be working with voluntary and community groups to target the support at those most in need.
Specific projects in the latest programme include ‘Hubb pots’ run by the Hubb Foundation. It will see families offered slow cookers, with recipe cards and ingredients.
“It’s a really healthy way of feeding your family if you are busy, have a large family or simply want a bit of variety,” added Mrs Brown.
The YMCA will also be offering the ‘Your Pantry’ scheme, where people pay a small amount in exchange for a basket of goods.
Staffordshire County Council has yet to announce its support fund allocation for this winter, but it is expected to offer a similar voucher scheme for schoolchildren over the half-term break.
Anyone who wants to find out more about the food vouchers for Stoke-ontrent children can visit www.stoke.gov.uk/ foodvouchers.