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