Group to tackle holiday hunger established in Southampton

Key stakeholders from Southampton have come together to create the Southampton Holiday Provision Steering Group, which aims to tackle holiday hunger.

Research shows that thirty six per cent of children in Southampton are living in poverty, and so the group led by City Catering Southampton, has been created to share best practice and commitment to facilitate vital signposting to combat the growing issue of families, and in particular children, going hungry during the school holidays.

The city’s council leader Christopher Hammond said: “17,000 of Southampton’s children are living in poverty, so for example in a class of 30 children in the city, 11 are in poverty and regularly turning up to school hungry.  Our aspiration as a council is to abolish child hunger by 2025 and for us as a city to all own that goal together and today is the start of a journey towards that.”

Headteachers from primary schools around the city joined councillors for Swaythling, Coxford, Freemantle and Bargate together with community development workers and charities including hosts City Catering, to listen to what is needed and how everyone can join forces to make it a reality.

Rachel Hall, CEO at City Catering Southampton introduced the group by saying: “Recent figures show there are more than 20,000 children across Hampshire currently living in poverty, by bringing the people in this room together, we have every opportunity to create a real powerhouse to help eradicate this issue, not only in our region, but on a national level too.

“The work that we do as a not-for-profit school-meals provider, makes this an issue close to our hearts and sits at the centre of our ongoing charitable aims.”

Those involved in the steering group include Vivid Homes, Radian and its Good Grub Club, Make Lunch, Connect 4 Summer, Solent NHS, Southampton Children’s Play Association, Communicare in Southampton, Active Me 360, Coach 4 U Sports, Southampton City Mission, Solent
 Mind, Spectrum CIL, TWICS and SO18 Big Local.

The Steering Group, which has been funded through a VIVID grant administered by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation, will meet once per quarter with membership open to anyone with an invested
 interest in holiday food provision in Southampton and Hampshire, including food banks, housing associations, health professionals, schools, businesses, community groups, councillors and club providers too.
 
To get involved, email Jessica.Clasby-Monk@citycateringsouthampton.co.uk