West Berkshire rallies to fill free school meals gap

Pubs and shops step in to help 'wrap arms around the community' in Marcus Rashford-led campaign

THIS weekend has seen an outpouring of support for families who may be struggling to feed their children this half term.

More than 3,500 children across West Berkshire are registered for free school meals and the community has rallied in villages and towns to help ensure none of them go hungry.

The decision by shops, pubs, charities and other businesses to step in and help comes after Conservative MPs this week voted against a motion calling to extend free school meals over the school holidays until next Easter.

They are some of thousands of businesses up and down the country who have “wrapped your arms around your community to catch children as they fell”; which is how footballer Marcus Rashford, who headed up the campaign to get the government to extend free school meal provision to include school holidays, described the acts of kindness.

Kayleigh Powell, from West Berkshire Community Baby Bank, said they were working hard to match offers of help to the groups able to best distribute them to those in need.

She said it was important that people realised how difficult coming forward to ask for help would be for some people this week, but the local businesses were all keen to stress that there would be no questions and no judgement from any of them.

A website has been set up to help parents find out, locally, where they can get support this half term – allofustogether.uk

Below is a list of local businesses offering packed lunches and food boxes this week. If we have missed anyone off please let us know and we will update the list as and when we can.

• West Berkshire Foodbank
• Numee, Essex Street, Newbury
• Thai Golden Horse, Northbrook Street, Newbury
• Riverside Community Centre, Newbury
• The Bunk Inn, Curridge
• The Crown & Horns, East Ilsley
• Hamstead Norreys Community Shop
• The Village Chocolate Café, Goring
• The Village Shop, Woolhampton
• The Pheasant, Highclere
• Fionavon, Village Shop, Compton
• Hungerford Town Football - Thursday (October 29) from 12 noon, will be giving free jacket potatoes to any children that need this assistance. Free delivery also available. Register by emailing hungerfeedtown@gmail.comor phoning 01488 760088.

A petition has also been launched by the West Berkshire and Newbury Liberal Democrats, calling on West Berkshire Council to help extend free school meals in the district over Christmas.

It urges the district council to debate funding these meals locally, to ensure that the 3,539 children currently on Free School Meals in West Berkshire don't go hungry this Christmas.

Newbury MP Laura Farris voted against the motion in the Commons earlier this week.

More help and support can be found from the following:

West Berkshire Health Visitors – West Berkshire: 0300 303 3944 or email: HVWBRDGDuty@berkshire.nhs.uk

West Berkshire Foodbank Crisis line - 01635 760560 or www.westberks.foodbank.org.uk

West Berkshire Family Hubs - East, Central, West https://info.westberks.gov.uk/familyhubs

Hungerford and Area Family Centre https://directory.westberks.gov.uk/kb5/westberkshire/directory/service.page?id=lkyz1pveaEI

The West Berkshire Community Support Hub westberksbct@westberks.gov.uk Call: 01635 503579 www.westberks.gov.uk/coronavirus-communityhub

Homestart West Berkshire 01635 760310 https://home-startwestberks.org.uk/contact-us/