An appeal has been issued by Ribble Valley Foodbank urging families struggling over the summer holidays with meals to get in touch.
“Help is here”, says manager Ruth Haldane, after reports that one in ten parents the North West will skip a meal or more to feed their children.
She commented: “Lots of people are just getting by day-to-day, but find their income simply won’t stretch to meet the extra pressure of missing free school meals or paying for extra childcare during the holidays. The Foodbank really is run for the community, by the community; its all about helping each other and recognising that nobody in the Ribble Valley should face going hungry. Everyone who comes to the foodbank is referred by a professional who holds our vouchers, and that’s why we would encourage anyone worried they won’t be able to afford food during the holidays to talk, for example, to Children’s Centres, the Citizens Advice Bureau, Housing Associations, Health Visitors, or phone 07845 534431 for more information”.
A similar opinion was expressed by Adrian Curtis, Foodbank National Director of The Trussell Trust, who said: “Families who rely on free school meals during term time can find themselves facing hunger in the school holidays, when there is an extra financial pressure to provide main meals. No one knows the full scale of hunger in the North West during the school holidays yet, but these figures make one thing clear; many families are closer to crisis than we think.”
Ribble Valley Foodbank is based at Trinity Church. The full address is Wesleyan Row, Parson Lane, Clitheroe, BB7 2JY.
From The Clitheroe Advertiser, 4th August 2016.
