Children and young people in lower-income families will be supported to stay healthy and happy over the Easter school holidays, thanks to a new round of grants under the Never Hungry Again fund.
Since Calderdale Council, the Community Foundation for Calderdale, The Piece Hall Trust and other partner organisations launched the fund in October 2020 to end child hunger for good, kind donations from across the borough have raised over £100,000 to keep the most disadvantaged children well-fed and healthy.
The Council and the Community Foundation have now added a further £55,000 to the fund to provide extra support during the Easter break, for families who are struggling financially due to COVID-19.
This will add to the healthy food and activity parcels which the Council will already be distributing just before schools close for Easter, to children who are eligible for free school meals and other lower-income families.
Calderdale voluntary and community organisations are invited to apply for a share of the £55,000 to continue their existing work or identify new projects for children and young people during the two weeks of the Easter holidays.
The deadline for applications is 10am on Thursday 18 March and payments are due to be made to successful applicants by early April.
Cllr Tim Swift, Leader of Calderdale Council, said:
“We’re delighted with the success of the Never Hungry Again campaign so far. We set out to end child hunger in Calderdale for good, and thanks to the amazing kindness of our communities, we’ve been able to support families with the healthy food and lifeline that they need during school holidays and beyond.
“Our voluntary organisations and schools continue to provide excellent support to local pupils and their families throughout the pandemic. We’re pleased to be teaming up with the Community Foundation for Calderdale once again to help boost this even more. We encourage our local community groups to apply for the new grants.”
Steve Duncan DL, CEO of Community Foundation for Calderdale, explained:
“This campaign is built on the longstanding commitment of all partners to reducing inequalities including tackling food and family poverty. We are proud of the way that efforts have been stepped up during the pandemic to support families who are struggling disproportionately.”
To apply for a grant, please visit https://ukcf.secure.force.com/forms/Generalover1500/neverhungryagaineaster(external link)
For more information and to get involved in the Never Hungry Again campaign:
- Follow www.twitter.com/NHACalderdale(external link) and www.facebook.com/NHACalderdale(external link) and the hashtag #NeverHungryAgain