Cash grant helps Park Community School feed community during pandemic

Park Community School runs the Munch Project to help feed people struggling to buy food in the local community.

Project leaders had become concerned about ensuring people didn’t go hungry as demand increased due to the detrimental impact of the coronavirus crisis on people’s financial circumstances along with people struggling to get to the shops due to having to self-isolate.

However, after receiving a grant of £8,350 from the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation (HIWCF) and the National Emergencies Trust (NET), the school is now confident it can meet demand during the pandemic.

Headteacher, Chris Anders, said: ‘We are extremely pleased to be awarded this grant because it will be a lifeline for some of our community.

‘This will allow us to continue producing meals to distribute to our local community through our Munch Community Food Project.’

The funding will allow the catering team at the school to prepare in excess of 2,500 meals for those most in need within the community of Leigh Park.

Susan Parish, business and community manager at the school, added: ‘Thank you very much to NET and HIWCF for providing this funding, which is essential to ensure that we are able to carry out our Munch Community Food Project and make a real difference to people’s lives.’

The pre-prepared meals will be available for collection from the school reception and will be delivered to the homes of residents who are unable to collect.

After awarding the grant, Jonathan Cheshire OBE, HIWCF chairman commented: ‘We are delighted to be able to support Munch in their work to help those in need in the local community.

‘Local charities, community groups and voluntary organisations are providing a lifeline to those less fortunate, and it is heartening to see that these organisations can react so quickly and be so resourceful in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

‘The vital services that these organisations provide are more crucial now than ever before but are under threat more than at any other time.

‘HIWCF is continuing to raise funding for charities across our region, for which donations can be made to the We’re All Together Fund at http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/charity-web/charity/displayCharityCampaignPage.action?charityCampaignUrl=AllTogether

The Munch project was established by the school in February 2017. It looked to provide food for local families during school holiday periods. This can be a particular issue for parents with children entitled to free school meals who lose this provision outside of term time.

During the pandemic, the government has made a commitment to feed all FSM children even during the Easter holiday period.

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