The Big Issue – August 05, 2019

TheriseinholidayhungerisastainthatshouldshameBritain.It’sanindictmentofyearsofpoliciesthat

punishthosemostinneed.We at The Big Issuewantto do all we can to help fight it. We have beenprovidinga

platformfor the wonderful,selflessgroupsand individualsofferinga handup. But we wantto hear of more,so tell us at

editorial@bigissue.com. We will be the signpostfor thosein need,a way to celebrategoodpeople.Thenwe will do our

bit to makesure the groupsare not neededin the future,by dealingwith the core causesof holidayhunger.And you can

read moreaboutthe campaignatbigissue.com

TACKLING

HOLIDAY

HUNGER

STREETGAMES UK-WIDE

SimilartoFeedingBritain,StreetGamesheadsupanational

networkoforganisationsthataretacklingholidayhunger–

withakick.

Thecharitybringswhatitcalls‘doorstepsport’toyoung

disadvantagedpeopleacrossEngland,ScotlandandWales:it’sfree,

it’slocalandit’saccessible.Butin2016,feedbackfromthelocal,

trustedorganisationsgrewfroma humtoa roar:holidayhunger,

isolationandinactivitywerereachingcrisislevels.

That’swhenthecharitylauncheditsFitandFedprogramme,

dailysessionsthatcombinefunphysicalactivitieswith

nutritionalmeals.

“Thenumberofgroupswe’reinvolvedinwhoareworkingtotackle

holidayhungerhasnearlytripledsince2016.Lotsweren’tknowntousat

allbeforethen,”FitandFedcampaigndirectorDavidWhitetoldTheBig

Issue.“That’sthedemand.Some

otherprogrammeshavestarted

deliveringfoodtoojustbecause

theproblemissohuge.”

Morethan25,000young

peoplehavebenefitedsofar–

that’s90,000mealsprovidedto

childrenwhosefamiliescontinue

tosufferunderausterity.

streetgames.org

KITCHEN SOCIAL

LONDON

Kitchen Social started feeding hungry

tummies in the summer holidays back

in 2017 but now they have bigger plans

on their plate.

Run by the Mayor’s Fund for London

• an independent charity that sits in
  City Hall with Sadiq Khan as its patron


• Kitchen Social funds 150 community
  groups in the capital to provide food
  and activities for low-income kids in the
  schoolholidays.Actingas an umbrella
  groupallowsthemto standardise
  trainingand sharebest practice,with
  each groupfeaturingtheir quality
  assurancemark.
  ProgrammemanagerClaraWiddison
  told The Big Issue:“The community
  groupswe workwith are stemming
  the tide a little bit but the way it is
  beingdeliveredat the momentis
  totallyunsustainable.
  “It’s reallychallengingto expectthe
  communityto step up moreto this than
  they alreadyhave,whichis whatthey are
  goingto needto do.”
  That’swhy KitchenSocialis now
  tryingto “changethe food policy
  landscape”.They will be holding
  England’sfirst Children’sFood Insecurity
  Summitin Januaryto buildon their
  joined-upworkingso far.
  mayorsfundforlondon.org.uk

Acutabove

KitchenSocialoffers

foodandfunforkids

TACKLING

HOLIDAY

HUNGER

Photo:

South Wales Fire & Rescue Service, Duffryn Fire Station, Newport

Photo:

Bettws Civil Service Club, Newport

Photo:

©Mayor’s Fund for London

05-11 AUGUST 2019 BIGISSUE.COM | 11