Waterlooville mum grateful to Park Community School and ‘amazing’ businesses for preventing holiday hunger

Elizabeth Wallace, 38, from Waterlooville said she believed the government ‘should have continued with the vouchers at least until the end of the pandemic’ but has praised the generosity of local organisations which have stepped in to ensure children don’t go hungry this half term.

Elizabeth said: ‘With more people being made redundant and struggling due to Covid, it’s more important than ever the government provide support. These vouchers were a real help for families who are struggling and it should have been continued.’

To help prevent holiday hunger for her children, Rhys Padley, 15, Cody Salmon, 13, Kira-Leigh-Wallace, six, and Kai Wallace, two, the family are grateful for the support received from Park Community School.

Elizabeth said: ‘I could not be any more proud of Park Community School for the help they’ve given to local families in need of food. They’ve provided items for the local food bank and I’ve also used the free freezer meal service they provide at the Dickinson Centre where you can collect pre-prepared food.’

However it’s not just during the pandemic that the family have received food support from the school.

‘On Thursday’s we go to the school’s Munch service which provides us with lunch and during the summer holidays my children attended the Connect4Summer initiative where they got to do various activities as well as getting a hot meal,’ said Elizabeth.

With tens of businesses and organisations around Portsmouth and the surrounding area having stepped in to provide free school meals and food hampers, Elizabeth has been staggered by their selfless actions.

She said: ‘I take my hat off to all these businesses and companies and I think it’s amazing what they’re doing. It’s such a generous act to support struggling families. It must be eating into their own profits at a difficult time when a lot of businesses have their own struggles.’

Elizabeth feels the outpouring of support highlights the growing sentiment that the vouchers should have been maintained.

‘If the government can’t help families direct with the vouchers then they should at least give something back to all those businesses which are helping people out of their own money,’ said Elizabeth.

SEE ALSO: University of Portsmouth delivers food parcels to stop children going hungry over half term

The prime minister Boris Johnson has defended the government’s decision and has cited other revenue streams such as increased Universal Credit payments to absorb the cost of holiday food provision.

He said: ‘There's £63m gone to councils specifically to help deal with holiday hunger and with pressure on families. We will do everything in our power to make sure that no child goes hungry.’

The government also highlighted that before the pandemic, free school meal provision was only ever intended for during term time.

For Park Community College headteacher, Chris Anders, it’s this stance which is indicative of a ‘longer term issue’.

He said: ‘The school has long recognised how our school building can provide for our local community and food provision through the Munch project is just one aspect of that.

‘What we are now seeing is this is an issue which is being much more talked about. If a child requires free school meals for 190 days of the year this need does not simply stop during holiday periods.

‘Hopefully this debate can now provide a longer term solution and not just something to cover Christmas and up to the Easter holidays.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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