A Hastings charity has been able to help even more children and families in need thanks to support from Hastings Borough Council (HBC).

When they heard that free school meals were going to be discontinued over half term week, Councillors Warren Davies and Mike Turner approached HBC with the idea of authorising money for food for children over the holiday period and the council agreed to support their idea.

That meant the Education Futures Trust (EFT), which has been preparing and delivering food boxes since March to families in Hastings and St Leonards, were able to extend their service over half term to families who receive free school meals.

In addition to the 94 children the charity already supports with regular food parcels, they were able to give a further 107 children meals during the half term week. In total, over half term 336 individuals received food thanks to the EFT’s food hamper scheme.

Of those who received the hampers, 80 per cent of the children lived in the 30 per cent most deprived areas and 64 per cent lived in the ten per cent most deprived areas.

The Councillors passed on their thanks to everyone at EFT for: “The valuable work that it does helping some of the most deprived young people to progress their education and rebuild their lives, in an environment which is a real community.

“The Trust has played a particularly valuable role during the Covid lockdown, providing and delivering food to vulnerable residents across our borough. Today we would like to express our sincere thanks to the Trust for its commitment to provide food during school recess periods for our young people, some of whom, as we know, would otherwise go hungry,” the councillors said.

Carole Dixon, EFT’s Chief Executive added: “EFT was pleased to have the opportunity to offer additional support to local families over the holiday period. I would like to thank staff and volunteers for their hard work and the positive approach that has enabled us to provide this service. We have been amazed by the community’s generosity, and it is moving to see how people are pulling together during this difficult time. The donations of food, funding and time have allowed the charity to meet the needs of local families at a time of unprecedented hardship. Thank you again to all involved and to the borough council for their support.”

Main photo: Councillors Warren Davies and Mike Turner helping prepare the hampers.

If you’d like to help the work of the Education Futures Trust then follow this link https://localgiving.org/appeal/ChallengingChildHunger/