Thousands of children relying on foodbanks in holidays
APPEAL AS YOUNGSTERS FACE ‘HOLIDAY HUNGER’
THOUSANDS of youngsters across Newcastle are relying on a city foodbank to stop them from going hungry during the summer holidays.
While the six weeks off school are eagerly anticipated by children across the country, they are also a challenging time for many families struggling to survive.
In the absence of breakfast clubs and school dinners, some parents are turning to foodbanks to ensure their children are able to eat.
It’s a problem that Newcastle West End Foodbank is all too familiar with. Every week, the charity on Benwell Lane helps to feed around 1,000 people in need across the city – not just the West End – with its food parcels.
At the height of the pandemic, the foodbank delivered 1,800 food parcels a month to families and individuals, but now that figure has risen to more than 2,000 parcels per month as the cost of living crisis bites.
The problem is getting worse, according to volunteer Bill Corcoran, who is involved with the NUFC Fans Foodbank arm of the organisation.
He anticipates this winter will be tougher than ever as a result of rising energy bills and inflation.
Speaking to the Chronicle ahead of schools breaking up on this week, Bill said the foodbank expects to feed around 500 children a week during the holidays.
“Holiday hunger is a massive issue,” Bill said.
“If you are a family who needs to use the foodbank, then the school holidays are not something to look forward to. We have always provided extras for the holidays, they don’t come as a big surprise to the foodbank.
“They will be budgeted for, but then there is the hidden provision [of people that need the service] that we don’t really know about.
“It’s a lot of kids. It’s half a school or a whole junior school. All of them having to get fed through a foodbank.”
Bill stressed that the foodbank had been preparing to combat holiday hunger once again this year but urged those who are able to donate so it can continue to provide its vital lifeline to communities in Newcastle.
“A third at least of the budget comes from Newcastle
United fans and we don’t have matches [at the moment],” he continued. “Anything that the fans can provide, every pound will count. The Reuben Foundation is matching every donation at St James’ Park. “So, in many ways, the best way to contribute to the foodbank is for people to go along to the match, to come along to the friendly days or the home matches.”
The foodbank is also continuing to back The Right To Food campaign calling on everybody to have a legal right to food, which would place responsibility on the Government to end hunger. “The winter is going to be really horrible if we are not careful,” Bill added. “We need to prepare for it now. That’s communities, that’s families, that’s local councils and regional and national Government, along with schools and religious places.
“Everybody has got to stick together on this one. We shouldn’t need foodbanks but we are really going to need them this winter.” To donate visit: https://newcastlewestend.foodbank.org.uk/give- help/donatemoney/