More free school meal vouchers

Thurrock Council is working to support families and children who could face holiday hunger without additional support during the time schools break up for the half-term holidays.

Children who are eligible for free school meals will each receive a weekly £15 supermarket voucher as the council works to ensure no child is left going hungry.

During the Christmas holidays in December, the council supported thousands of children across the borough with free school meals in a bid to tackle holiday hunger.

With government support from the Covid-19 Winter Grant Scheme, the council is again able to offer support to the borough’s most vulnerable children.

The council have been working closely with schools to ensure more than 6,400 food vouchers are distributed on time.

Vouchers can be used in supermarkets for lunchtime meals that children normally would have got in school.

Councillor Andrew Jefferies, cabinet member for education, insists the council is determined to make sure no vulnerable children or young people are left going without during the half term holidays.

He said: “For two weeks in December last year, the council supported thousands of eligible children across the borough with free school meals, and I am proud to say that we are once again delivering on this promise during February half-term this year.

“Thanks to the £524k government COVID-19 Winter Grant Scheme, we are able to provide our most vulnerable children and young people with access to supermarket vouchers that can be used for lunchtime meals for children as would typically be provided at school. We have been working closely with schools to ensure that more than 6,400 food vouchers are ordered are distributed on time to our children and young people.

“Whilst we face the many ongoing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are determined to once again ensure that our vulnerable children and young people will not go without during the school holidays.”