Children's Health Fund raises £90,000 in first year
The Fund has partnered with over 100 restaurants across the UK to raise money for projects addressing children’s health and wellbeing. Restaurants adopt a 10p sugary drinks levy on soft drinks with added sugar and funds raised are distributed via grants, twice a year.
Mike Rayner, chair of the Children’s Health Fund Board, said: “We’ve had an amazing first year and it’s been great to have seen the impact that we have been able to make.
“We are looking forward to another successful year ahead, working with our existing and new partners to raise funds that continue improving children’s health.”
The celebration saw representatives of the food industry, sports clubs, community centres, local authorities and beneficiaries of the Fund gather to mark the anniversary. Since it was established grants totalling £50,000 have been dispersed to improve access to drinking water in parks, schools, youth centres, sports clubs and children’s centres.
A further £40,000 has been distributed via its discretionary strategic grant programme focussing on sugar reduction work. The Children’s Health Fund is currently supporting around 80,000 children living in deprived areas around the UK.
The next round of funding to be distributed will address ‘holiday hunger’, an issue faced by hundreds of thousands of children living in low-income families around the country. The Holiday Food Fund expects to distribute grants in December of this year.