Meals & More supports vulnerable children during lockdown

Meals & More, the national charity specialising in holiday provision for the most vulnerable children in society, has ramped up its support for schoolchildren during lockdown.

Meals & More has worked with multi-academy trust Oasis and Sodexo since 2019 to provide young people with healthy food and pastoral support over the holiday periods.

Since lockdown, the charity has worked with its delivery partners to ensure that those in need still receive food, diverting funds from holiday clubs to supply packed meals and food parcels. Over the Easter break, more than 250 meals were supplied from Oasis academies based at Media City Salford (pictured), Oldham and Wintringham, during the transition to the free school meals voucher scheme.

Meals & More is also working with partners across the country to provide additional meals to vulnerable children and families, supported by companies such as Brakes, McVitie’s, Pladis Foodservice and Quorn, who have donated products and support.

Diana Steele, fundraising, partnerships and events manager at Oasis, described the additional support and funding provided by Meals & More as “incredibly helpful”.

Peter McGrath, operations director for Meals & More, said: “The challenge for everyone has been to adapt quickly to a fast-moving situation to ensure that we get help to those who need it.

"The Meals & More Trustees recognised early on that we would need to change the way we support organisations. We have therefore moved away from our usual club-based holiday provision and are working with our delivery partners across the country to identify the best ways to help, whether that be food parcels, packed lunches or other innovative ways of supporting those who need it.

Meals & More, became an independent charity (supported by Brakes) in 2018 and is now a leading voice in the fight to put an end to holiday hunger.