Charity gets help with holiday meals
YOUNGSTERS were fed and kept active over the Easter holidays by a charity, with support from Central England Co-op.
St Matthew’s Big Local, in Leicester, provides hot meals to children in the school holidays as part of the Department for Education’s Holiday Activities and Food Programme.
Central England Co-op colleagues donate their time to help prepare and serve the meals.
Eighteen staff from food stores, funeral homes and its Southern Membership and Community Council volunteered to cover eight shifts over the Easter holidays, preparing, serving and clearing away after 800 meals.
Simon Johnson, charity manager
at St Matthew’s Big Local, said: “We have a small team and without the support of volunteers we simply could not provide the level of service we do.
“Most of the children we provide meals for would have benefited from free school meals.
“We aim to fill that gap while the
schools are closed. Our team always likes working with the staff from Central England Co-op as they always arrive passionate about helping and have a positive can-do attitude with a smile on their faces.
“The volunteers always work hard, and we are very grateful for their support.
“We look forward to working with the volunteers at other events we are holding later in the year.”
Karen Bevan, member and community relations officer, organised the society’s support.
She said: “Our colleagues across Leicester are always keen to give their time to support this vital programme run by St Matthew’s Big Local.
“They’re always made to feel really welcome by the team and find it a hugely rewarding experience to see first-hand what a difference it’s making to the young people accessing the programme.
“We have a great relationship with Simon and the team and are looking forward to continuing our support this summer.”