Going hungry in the school holidays
Group set up to feed children missing their free meal
A SPECIAL club has been running over the holiday period to prevent youngsters, who normally get a free school meal, going hungry.
So far it has provided around 200 meals to 45 children.
St Mary’s Grub Club was set up by a group of parishioners at Loughborough’s St Mary’s RC Church after a discussion at one of their regular meetings about “holiday hunger”.
Frank Fay, a member of the group told the Echo: “It is becoming increasingly acknowledged that many children who are entitled to free school meals during term time go hungry during the school holidays.”
After liaising with four local schools, undergoing training in safeguarding, food hygiene and first aid and receiving donations from both St Mary’s Church, individual parishioners and a local private school the Grub Club was ready to open its doors on July 16.
It has been staged every Monday and Thursday and runs until August 20, next week.
The club welcomes children aged 5-11 and their families and provides them with a hot nutritious two course meal.
In addition the volunteers provide a range of activities
including painting, craftwork, reading, Scalextric and football coaching.
The project has now been running for four weeks and it has served over 200 meals to 45 children and 20 adults.
Mr Fay said that the families initially attending, had come through referral with the schools, but word of
mouth had spread and the take up increased through the weeks.
It’s hoped to run the club again during the other term breaks
The chair of Grub Club, Catherine Brady, said: “Everyone who comes to Grub Club is welcome.
“I would like to thank eve- ryone who has given us donations and their time to make this such an enjoyable experience.”
The Grub Club is affiliated to Transforming Lives for Good (TLG) Make Lunch charity, which supports the initiative nationwide.
A spokesperson from Make Lunch told the Echo: “In England, 1.2m children are eligible for free school meals and we know that that meal is extremely important for those children.
“It is well documented that during the holidays, food bank usage increases due to the pressures on families of feeding their kids during that time when the free school meals aren’t available.”