National Lottery windfall helps Park Community School feed disadvantaged families during pandemic

Park Community School will use the National Lottery funding to support the Munch project provide 100 meals a day for children and families who may be struggling to purchase sufficient food during the crisis.

School community manager, Susan Parish, said: ‘We are extremely pleased to receive this funding. Since the crisis began we have been providing 30 meals a day and this will allow us to expand and provide to many more families.

‘It is important to us as an organisation to be able, in a small way, to help families in our community.’

Meals are produced by the school’s catering staff and left for families to pick up. For families unable to collect, the PO9 Foodbank delivers the food to people’s homes.

Headteacher Chris Anders added: ‘We are delighted that the National Lottery Community Fund has recognised our project in this way.

‘Now, thanks to National Lottery players, we will be able to expand our offer and provide these extra meals and help families through these challenging times.’

Since being established in 2016, the Munch project has been providing food for vulnerable and disadvantaged families struggling to provide meals for their children.

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The school identified this as a particular problem during school holiday periods. While the school has made lockdown provision for children entitled to free school meals, it is a situation which has been exacerbated with schools having to close to limit the spread of coronavirus.

Munch normally provides meals every day in the holidays as well as Thursday tea times and Sunday lunches.

They also have a Munch fridge and freezer where families can collect food throughout the year.

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