Urgent Appeal: Farnham’s Food Parcel Scheme for Families at Risk of Closure – How You Can Help!

A food parcel program providing groceries to families in need during school breaks is at risk of shutting down in a few weeks. The Lunch Bags for Children initiative in Farnham, Surrey, has supported around 100 children each holiday for the last three years.

This program, backed by local charities and the council, now faces uncertain funding. Sandy Clarke, the vicar behind the initiative, says the demand is rising. She called it “heartbreaking” if they had to stop now.

“Leafy Surrey isn’t where you expect to see poverty,” Sandy noted. However, nearly half of the pupils in their local school receive free meals. To combat this, the community fridge and warehouse were set up four years ago. School breaks place additional stress on families, making their work even more vital.

In 2022, they began providing families with groceries for healthy lunches. “Every time we do this, it costs £1,000,” Sandy explained. While there are many charities in the area, their resources are limited. “It would be wonderful to ensure we can keep going until next Easter, but we need donations.”

Community members are stepping up to help. For instance, parishioner William Spencer and his son George are cycling to Venice to raise funds and have already collected £1,200.

Sandy’s hope is to keep families together and ensure children have nutritious meals. “Ultimately, I wish projects like this weren’t needed. But until then, we want to keep supporting our community.”

Statistics show the need for programs like this is growing. A recent survey indicated that nearly 1 in 5 families in the UK struggle to afford enough food. Programs that provide direct assistance are essential now more than ever.

For more on the challenges faced by families in need, check out this report from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation on poverty in the UK.

Source link