Meals & More calls on Government to extend support for holiday hunger
In a letter to Chancellor Rachel Reeves ahead of the budget submission, Meals & More highlighted the need to extend the Holidays Activities and Food Programme past its initial three-year term and ensure that any future funding is linked to inflation.
Peter McGrath, operation director at Meals & More, said: “The introduction of the HAF programme was a major milestone in helping to address holiday hunger. However, there has been no commitment to continue the programme after its initial term. Coupled with that, inflation has already significantly eroded the £200m that the previous Government invested in the programme, making it woefully inadequate in dealing with the problem.”
Meals & More also wants to see the programme extended to cover all children in food poverty, not just those receiving free school meals. The charity has provided more than two million meals for children who are living in food poverty.
Paul Nieduszynski, chief executive of Sysco GB, added: “Since we first launched Meals & More in 2015, the journey has been incredible moving holiday hunger from an unnoticed issue to a Government issue. However, the challenge remains and there are some four million children facing food poverty.
“Last year, we committed our support to Meals & More for another five years and we hope that the Government will see how much this support is needed and make a similar commitment for its Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme.”