FOOD BANK JUST FOR CHILDREN
M.E.N. REPORTS ON SHOCKING NEED FOR LIFELINE TO STOP KIDS GOING HUNGRY DURING SCHOOL HOLIDAYS
KIDS who hardly eat all day and think it’s ‘normal’ to be hungry. Homes with little or no food in the cupboard.
It’s an increasingly stark picture of the poverty some children are facing in Greater Manchester.
And it’s a particular problem during the summer holidays.
Many children who rely on breakfast clubs and school meals during term time don’t eat properly during the six-week break.
It’s a growing problem, and one that a Salford youth worker, disgusted at the suffering of scores of youngsters, is trying to tackle by setting up a food bank specifically for kids.
“Having little or no food in the house is normal for many young people these days,” Simon Taylor said.
“That is day-to-day life for many children, who just see it as normal.
“Some are sent off with a couple of quid to get them through the day.
“Sometimes parents make poor choices and don’t prioritise food, or there are several children and making money stretch is difficult.
“Most young people we see don’t eat breakfast. Some also miss lunch.
“Others pick up something and tell us it’s the first thing they have eaten all day.
“When they say they are starving, they really mean it. They are used to not prioritising food, instead grabbing unhealthy rubbish.”
The idea for the ‘Snack Shack’ at Bridgewater Youth Centre in Little Hulton came after Simon and his colleagues started dipping into their own pockets to feed kids. “We started noticing that many of the children coming to youth club nights were hungry,” he said.
“We couldn’t have that, so we started offering them eggs or beans on toast.
“We sometimes had to fund it ourselves, but we’ve now linked in with the charity FareShare through our local Tesco stores, which is donating food that would otherwise go to waste.
“I got my slow cooker out and started making stews, because I wanted the children to eat well.
“They loved it and asked if they could start cooking so we’ve worked on that and now they cook for other young people at the club and at home for their families.
“We’re trying to make the youth club and Snack Shack a safe space where they can come and learn how to make cheap, healthy food and then send them home with the ingredients, recipe and a few extra portions for the family.
“We want eating healthy food to become normal for them.”
The children are planning to compile a book of recipes, which they hope to print and sell to raise funds for future cookery projects.
Throughout August, cooking lessons, talks about safety and managing money, and free meals and snacks will be supplied by the Snack Shack.
It is being run as a pilot over the summer and is open every Wednesday from 1pm to 4pm.
Salford council bosses hope to open the Shack as a food bank for one night a week all-year round – and are appealing for businesses to help.
City mayor Paul Dennett said: “It’s