from Elle Knight at MakeLunch
School holidays are not just a break from the classroom. For many, they are also a break from hot meals.
For the thirteen weeks of school holidays this year, many pupils in the UK will not eat a hot meal each day. At school more than 1.2 million pupils who may otherwise go without are eligible to receive free school meals. Outside of term time though, free school meals are not available and many pupils are left without regular hot food. A recent report by the Trussell Trust and Kelloggs highlighted the issue of holiday hunger in Britain.
A national initiative called MakeLunch partners with local churches to ensure that free, hot and healthy meals are made available to those that need them during the school holidays. They are able to provide advice, training and opportunities for funding for churches who want to start the project in their area. Thurrock Lunch Club, based in Grays, joined this network of Lunch kitchens in 2012, and has since served over 1400 meals to more than 130 eligible children and their families. Nationally, the charity served nearly 6000 this summer alone!
On Saturday 22 November 2014, MakeLunch is hosting a Discovery Session at Community Church Chadwell from 10.30am-1pm.
These sessions are designed to explain MakeLunch to people who want to know more – they tell some of the stories of what’s happening, describe a little of the practicalities of running one and answer any questions you may have. The team from Thurrock Lunch Club will be on hand to share their experiences from the local area, too.
This session is provided at no cost to delegates.
For further details or to book your place, please contact Elle Knight on elle@makelunch.org.uk.
You can also book here: http://Thurrockdiscovery.eventbrite.co.uk
To find out more information about MakeLunch, please visit http://www.makelunch.org.uk. If you’re interested in what’s happening locally, you can visit http://www.thurrocklunch.co.uk or “like” their facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/thurrocklunch
