Following last week’s defeated vote in the House of Commons on whether to extend food vouchers during school holidays for struggling families, councils across the country have stepped in to provide support instead.
Growing Island-wide support
The Isle of Wight community has rallied around too. Last week Socialising Buddies teamed up with the Happy Haddock to provide free lunches for children this week.
Last night musician Ben Stubbs performed requests for donations on his Live from my Lounge online event – raising £500. And then there was six-year-old George, painting away all weekend to sell his artworks online and has managed to raise over £200 so far.
Free lunches at YMCA
The YMCA – in partnership with Free Food in Sandown – are providing free packed lunches Monday to Friday this week from YMCA Winchester House in Shanklin.
Just pop in anytime from 11am to 2.30pm to collect (entrance will be signposted).
Isle of Wight council’s approach
As well as those named above, there are many other Isle of Wight businesses who are stepping up to the plate to help those in need and today (Monday) council leader, Dave Stewart, says “that the Isle of Wight Council remains committed to ensuring all Island children and families in need of vital food support, both during school holidays and at other times, get access to all possible available help”.
Cllr Stewart said,
“In the short term we have committed extra money to the ‘Help Through Crisis’ scheme which is already operating to provide crucial help to those Islanders struggling to afford food and other essentials during the pandemic. I am sure we will be able to find more money if required. I do not want any Island child to go hungry.
“The Help Through Crisis scheme provides the simplest and quickest way for us to support families during this half term. I would urge any affected family to contact Citizen’s Advice IW, which manages the programme on 823859 or the website at www.islehelp.me/help-through-crisis to find out how to access these schemes, so they can have the necessary support in place.
“The Help Through Crisis scheme provides access to emergency food parcels and other food provision support – linking with the Isle of Wight Foodbank and other local community food provision such as Ventnor Foodbank, Ryde Aspire, West Wight Food Support, and Sandown Free Food; also ‘Baby Box’ to provide support for families experiencing food crisis for babies and toddlers.
“Additional support is also available through the council’s Children’s Services as part of its normal arrangements for child care and support. Any family in need should not feel concerned about contacting the council and getting support – we are there to help and if necessary people can use our helpline 823600.”
Brading: Support package for Christmas period
Cllr Paul Brading, Cabinet member for Children’s Services, said,
“The issue of supporting vulnerable young people is something which is close to my heart as I know it will be for all Islanders and councillors and is something to consider in everything we do. Working together to ensure our vulnerable children get a meal every day, not just when they are at school, should be our minimum expectation.
“Therefore, I and my Cabinet colleagues will work quickly over the coming weeks to develop a stand alone support package for all vulnerable children and families over the Christmas period and which could be repeated during other school holidays throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. This will include a simpler way of distributing the support to avoid families falling into crisis and leaving Help Through Crisis to assist those in the most urgent need of help.”
Stewart: Keen to move on from the political debate
Cllr Stewart added,
“I know there are many on the Island who have similar views and will support the Christmas initiative being proposed. I am keen to move on from the political debate about the issue and will look for consensus across the council chamber that this is the right thing to do.
“I would also like to thank and pay tribute to all those organisations and businesses on the Island which have stepped in to provide vital extra help in this area both throughout the pandemic and in recent days. So let’s all work together to tackle this community need.”
Cabinet urged to “do the right thing”
Isle of Wight councillor for Newport East, Geoff Brodie, wrote to the council’s leadership this morning, urging them to “do the right thing”. He said,
“I have been listening to news programme with an expectation that an IW Council that cared about children who will be going hungry this half-term would join fellow Conservative Council’s across England in stepping into the breach.”
He went on to explain that local community group Pan Together, are looking at the possibility of helping out with free school meals at Christmas and how it would take a large chunk out of their reserves, but the trustees (of which he is also one) “feel a natural obligation to help out if we can”.
‘Chickenfeed’
Cllr Brodie goes on to say he’d prefer to see the council step in, adding that the sums involved with feeding children on free school dinners over the Christmas holidays would be ‘chickenfeed’ when compared to the council’s overall budget.
Image: arcticwarrior under CC BY 2.0
