Five local hubs set up to tackle holiday hunger in Camden
Five food hubs have been set up in locations across the Borough to ensure children and young people have access to food when they are not at school over the summer holiday.
In partnership with Young Camden Foundation (YCF), the local Public Health team and the Hampstead Wells and Campden Trust, five food hubs have been established at community centres including Queen's Crescent Community Association, The Calthorpe Project in King's Cross and Dragon Hall Trust in Covent Garden.
Children and young people aged between four and nineteen are provided with two nutritious meals a day throughout the six-week break as part of summer holiday programmes taking place at each of the community centres.
Since the project started at the beginning of August, the food hubs have provided over 1,300 meals to young people per week.
Unfortunately, for many parents and carers the school holidays can be a financial strain, and on top of this the coronavirus pandemic has caused even further financial difficulties for some families.
We've been working hard with local VCS organisations and mutual aid groups to ensure vulnerable families get the support they need during lockdown and these food hubs are a fantastic way to ensure children and young people are fed whilst taking part in a range of activities to keep busy throughout the summer. This will make a huge difference for many families in Camden.
Cllr Angela Mason, Cabinet Member for Best Start for Children and Families
As part of Camden's work to ensure residents have access to food during lockdown, the Council has provided over 442,500 meals to residents, 46,000 meals in schools and delivered 13,000 free school meal parcels to families alongside local charities, community groups and volunteers.
Through the Camden Food Hub, Camden Council also organised a network between offers of food distribution and community organisations to distribute food to all areas of Camden and are continuing to work with voluntary and community sector (VCS) and local mutual aid groups to provide food parcels and other support to previously shielded residents who still need this support.
More information on the food hubs:
Sidings Community Centre are offering 30 primary and secondary school aged young people in total access to their summer activities programme with the addition of two meals a day. The programme will run from 3 August for four weeks and will include sports and physical activity, arts and crafts, and trips. Sidings will also be offering families food packages.
SHAK / the ARC youth club are offering twelve secondary school aged young people per day access to their summer youth programme and two meals. The four-week summer youth programme will include a combination of onsite and off-site activities.
Dragon Hall are offering 20 to 25 young people at transition age a place on their summer programme with the inclusion of two meals a day. The summer programme is expected to include mostly outdoor activities, arts and crafts, and trips. The programme will run for four days a week over four weeks of the six-week holiday.
QCCA are extending the food provision support they have been offering local families during the Covid-19 lockdown and will include youth activities for a small group in accordance with social distancing guidelines. They expect to support up to 60 children and young people in total.
The Calthorpe Project are including two meals a day to their existing summer activities programme that takes place during the weekend.
For more details, please email polly.reynolds@islington.gov.uk or contact YCF.
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