DM1ST(^4) DAILY MIRROR TUESDAY 30.07.
20 YEARS OF PRIDE OF BRITAIN
To nominate for Pride of Britain 2019 visit prideofbritain.com
AS a model in the 1960s, Celia
Hammond graced countless
magazine covers and was a
fashion world favourite.
But then she learned about
the cruel practices of
the fur industry.
“I was so horrified
when I saw what went
on in the fur industry, it
became my aim to stop
other models wearing
it,” she says.
In 1970 she quit the
catwalk to dedicate her life to
helping animals and set up the
Celia Hammond Animal Trust.
Two clinics in South East
London followed, plus a
sanctuary near Hastings, East
Sussex, for stray, abandoned
and unwanted animals.
In 2003, Celia received the
Linda McCartney
Award for Animal
Welfare, presented by
Sir Paul McCartney, at
the Pride of Britain
Awards. Now in her
70s, she has no plans
to slow down, and often
works 18-hour days,
seven days a week.
“It is hard going,” she says.
“But I’m as passionate as ever
and have no plans to stop.” ANIMAL LOVER Celia with Sir Paul McCartney
87,496 emergency food parcels were
given out, also up 20% on 2017.
Angela Rayner, Labour’s Shadow
Education Secretary, said: “Schools are
going above and beyond to support
their pupils but they shouldn’t have to
act as a fourth emergency service.”
Louisa McGeehan, director of policy
at the Child Poverty Action Group,
added: “There are 4.1 million children
growing up in poverty in the UK today
- an average of nine in a class of 30. Of
these six will have a parent who works.
“Because of low pay and insecure
hours, getting a job is not the
route out of poverty it should
be and life is tougher.”
Earlier this year, Siobhan
Collingwood, headteacher
of Morecambe Bay Primary
School, Lancs, said chil-
dren were arriving so
hungry that they were
searching the bins for food.
Headteachers have also
reported seeing children returning to
school appearing malnourished and
others with poor teeth and hair.
A Department for Education spokes-
person said: “These clubs will ensure
children get a nutritious meal – but
they will also offer the chance to
socialise and take part in sports and
healthy cooking classes.”
[email protected]
@MarkEllis
VOICE OF THE MIRROR: PAGE 8
EXCLUSIVE
BY MARK ELLIS Education Correspondent
and LIZ DUNPHYcompanies, before she invested the
profit in feeding her local community.
Recalling the moment she was
inspired to create Summer Kitchen,
she said: “I was sitting on the bus one
day when I heard a mother telling her
son what they were having for tea – a
hot dog and alphabet potatoes.
“The meal would have cost about
50p. She was clearly impoverished
but had done her very best for her
child. I wanted to help that mum feed
her child better.”
Ms Goodyer said food is donated
by farms and businesses, adding: “It’s
building a real sense of community
and we have so much fun doing it.”The foodbank robbers..
THIEVES smashed in a door at a
volunteer-run foodbank and stole pricey
items like toiletries, coffee and tins of
meat – but left baked beans untouched.
Lesley Collinson, 71, one of 20 regular
volunteers at the project, said the
pilfered stock was enough for around a
week’s supply but has since been
replaced. “We have been absolutelyoverwhelmed by the generosity of the
public,” she added.
Demand at the bank in Thornaby,
North Yorks, has hit 100 parcels a week.
Steve Walmsley, councillor for the
area, said: “I can’t believe that anyone
could be so desperate that they felt the
need to rifle a place that provides for so
many people in genuine need.”MARGATE
hou
ro
beC
oHRECORD numbers of children will
face school holiday hunger during
the long summer break, a Mirror
investigation has revealed.
Around 50,000 youngsters from
disadvantaged homes will get free
meals and activities inside schools as
the Government quadrupled funding
to £9million in a bid to tackle the crisis.
But charities have warned of a
growing problem of holiday hunger as
many families struggle to feed
their kids at home.
More than four million
children are growing up in
poverty, according to offi-
cial figures, with one
million eligible for free
school meals because of
their parents’ low income.
However, many families
do not claim them because of
the stigma attached and children from
homes just above the threshold – an
income of £16,000 a year – lose out.
Many families are turning to food-
banks during school holidays.
Britain’s biggest operator, The Trus-
sell Trust, says this summer may “be
the busiest yet” in many areas.
The charity’s latest figures revealed
that last year there was a 20% increase
nationwide in demand for foodbanks
during the summer holidays, while20 %
The increase nationally
in the number of people
using foodbanks last year‘Suddenly, it’s got a
lot worse for people’
OVERHEARING a struggling mum on
a bus inspired a businesswoman to
attempt to tackle holiday hunger.
Sharon Goodyer dreamed up her
volunteer-led programme after
witnessing escalating poverty.
Her Summer Kitchen project
served 1,640 meals at Drapers Mill
Primary Academy last summer.
And it proved such a success that
this year it has doubled in size to also
serve meals at Dame Janet Primary
Academy in nearby Ramsgate, Kent.
Ms Goodyer said: “Things have
suddenly got a lot worse for people.
“Policy after policy has pushed
people into poor housing, poor jobs,
poor education and left people with
not much in the way of life
experiences. And now it’s all come to
a head. So this summer we’re serving
in two schools.”
Illness forced Ms Goodyer to quit
her job as a headteacher in 2000.
But she moved into business,
creating multi-million poundMISSION
Sharon
Goodyer