Bristol-based charity thanks Marcus Rashford for highlighting the issue of child hunger

Grave concerns remain about how families already experiencing hardship due to Covid-19 will cope in the coming months, says the CEO of FareShare South West.

The Bristol-based charity that redistributes food to organisations and charities across the city has written an open letter to footballer Marcus Rashford, thanking him for putting the issue of child hunger on the national agenda.

It follows a Government U-turn on the decision to stop free school meal provision during the school summer holidays, largely thanks to a high profile campaign spearheaded by the Manchester United player.

In 2019, one in four children in Bristol were at risk of hunger and the number is expected to dramatically increase this year because of the coronavirus pandemic. There are fears that, despite the best efforts of organisations in the city, there are still some families falling through the gaps.

The mayor is calling on the government to fund free school meals provision all year round

Mayor Marvin Rees has called on the Government to fund free school meals provision year-round, not just during term time and food bank bosses have issued an urgent plea for more support for vulnerable people.

North Bristol Foodbank has reported a 258 per cent increase in the number of people in need of emergency supplies compared to the same period last year, and a 300 per cent rise in parcels given to children.

In an open letter to MPs, Rashford outline his own experiences of growing up without enough money for food, saying: “The system was not built for families like mine to succeed, regardless of how hard my mum worked.

Speaking about the campaign that helped prompt a government U-turn, Julian Mines, CEO of FareShare South West, said: “Marcus told a story we see and hear every year as we do what we can to bridge the food gap for struggling parents during the school summer holidays.

“To protect those experiencing those realities, these voices are often not heard. Whilst as a charity, we can tell the story of the statistics, it appears someone of Marcus’s fame and stature sharing his experience has captured the minds of the British public, and for that we are grateful.”

There are fears some are still falling through the gaps despite efforts to tackle the issue of child hunger in Bristol

Mines continued: “Food poverty, and child hunger, is a very real issue in our society, but also in our region.

“The school summer holiday has been a focus for us for several years and with enough food for 70,000 meals for children distributed in the six-week break last year, we recognise that this period is a crucial and time-limited opportunity to bridge the gap for parents and prevent them sliding deeper into systematic food poverty.

“Even with the government U-turn, we remain gravely worried about how families already experiencing hardship as a result of Covid will cope in these coming months. Many people are in difficult situations which will get worse without a solid support system and a long-term plan.

“As a charity dedicated to doing all we can to support the most vulnerable in our region, we will – as in previous years – supply food to holiday projects, food banks, community centres and the like.

“However, even with this and the free school meals support continuing, there will be some children who will fall through the gaps. Our aim this summer will be to get our in-date, good quality food into as many frontline organisations as possible, so that those gaps are fewer and to ensure as many vulnerable children as possible have access to fresh and nutritious food.”

The Trussell Trust, which runs food banks across the country, say the current level of families in need is unprecedented and has called on the government to put urgent support in place to ensure people already struggling to keep their heads above water can stay afloat.

The CEO of FareShare South West said grave concerns remain about those struggling to get by due to the pandemic

Matt Dobson, the manager of North Bristol Food Bank said: “We’re dedicated to ensuring that people in Bristol and South Gloucestershire who do not have enough money for food are able to access emergency support.

“We’ve been making big changes to our work to ensure we can continue to offer people who can’t afford essentials the emergency help that is needed as safely as possible. But ultimately, no one in Bristol and South Gloucestershire should need to use a food bank. 5,228 emergency food parcels to local people is 5,228 emergency food parcels too many. This isn’t right and cannot continue.”

All photos courtesy of FareShare South West

Read more: Mayor welcomes Government U-turn on free school meals