Food & drink companies have joined forces with FareShare in a bid to tackle ‘holiday hunger’ across the UK.
Bidfood, Coca-Cola, 2 Sisters and Allied Bakers are among the 10 companies that will contribute to the ‘Fit and Fed’ project providing free lunches and sports sessions to children living in deprived areas.
“We believe that the school holidays should be filled with fun and excitement,” said FareShare CEO Lindsay Boswell. “Sadly, for many children from low-income families, they’re a time of hunger and social isolation. That’s why we’re thrilled so many food companies are taking this issue as seriously as we are - upping their efforts to divert their surplus - as well as donating food to the project. With their help, we hope to provide more than 250,000 healthy lunches and snacks for children who might otherwise go hungry.”
Currently 1.7 million children in the UK are eligible for free school meals during term-time, but once the holidays start, this safety net is removed, and with family budgets stretched the result is that many children will go without access to proper meals,” says the charity. This summer, however, FareShare is supporting more than 400 schemes providing food to children and families over the six-week summer break, with 250 of these via the Fit and Fed Project, which was launched last Friday by HRH Prince Harry in Newham, London.
“I’m delighted that we’re able to play a role in supporting two worthwhile charities that aim to improve the lives of children by offering them a chance to participate in activities, eat a nutritious meal and enjoy their summer holidays,” said 2 Sisters CEO Ranjit Singh.
Bidfood’s supply chain and technical services director Jim Gouldie added: “Our relationship with FareShare and this programme forms a key part of our target of zero food to landfill. We believe it is essential to ensure that any waste within our supply chain is wherever possible redistributed, and where better than to those in most need?”
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