In the February half term, the Royal Borough of Greenwich distributed 2400 take and make boxes and 1850 lunches to children. Our partners in schools, youth clubs, the GCDA, GLL and the Charlton Athletic Community Trust have been outstanding in getting this support to those who need it.
The take and make boxes, pictured above, are a healthy meal kit. They have a recipe card, link to a video showing how to prepare the meal and everything you need to make a family meal. It’s not just a delicious meal but a chance for older children to enjoy cooking and develop a love of fresh food.
The lunches, in bags to take home, are part of the Royal Borough’s ongoing campaign against holiday hunger. This scheme has been running since 2018 and provides a decent lunch in school holidays for children who would have had free school meals during term time. Many families worry about being able to afford good food. Some are forced into difficult decisions between paying bills and basic food shopping, while others quite literally go without. It may be distressing to think that children in our local community are going hungry, but it is the truth.
Last week I was made welcome at the Avery Hill Youth Club, where take and make boxes were being picked up. I met a mum and her three daughters, and latter saw pictures of the fantastic work the 14-year-old had made of the Pasta Pangrattato! They are a family of 5 with the farther in full time work, but still they struggle to make ends meet. Worrying about the cost of food is increasingly a problem for families where one or both parents work.
Some of this is caused by changes in working patterns. Lots of people work in the “gig economy” where companies provide “opportunities” to earn rather than regular employment. If you have had take-away delivered to your home the person who turned up was probably paid a set price for the job. If they have a bad week, they may be struggling to pay the rent, or borrowing money for essentials like food.
Also significant is the government’s reduction in support for those in work. Changes in benefits are complicated, and Universal Credit does have some good features, but the amount of money provided to support those who work but can’t cover their basic expenses has gone down. The Lib Dem / Conservative coalition began reducing in work benefits in 2010. After a decade of austerity people who work hard and are doing their best have less money to live on.
In theory, Universal Credit is flexible enough to increase support for working parents who have less income than expected, but in practice it is a nerve shredding wait to find out if the system has provided enough to keep your family fed.
Everyone should have access to good food. It’s not a luxury but an essential part of living a decent life. Those who worry about being able to feed their children are not feckless or incompetent, they are good people, our neighbours, members of our community. As a local authority Royal Greenwich will continue to support children at risk of going hungry, but changes in employment, in- work benefits and other measures are needed to make real progress on this this issue. In the world’s sixth richest country, the rise in families needing support from a food bank is something we should never accept.
Link to Greenwich Food Bank
Matt Morrow 