In the UK 650,000 primary aged children get free school meals during term time, but there is no state provision for children in the holidays. In our community in Beacon heath there will be children going hungry this summer unless we are able to help.

At the Beacon Community Centre we are providing free meals to forty families twice a week during four weeks of the summer holidays to give their children a good nutritious cooked meal. This is in addition to running the normal weekly food bank and drop-ins.

We've already raised £1000 to pay for some of the food and some local people are generously providing some meals but we need to raise an additional £1000 to make sure everyone goes home full and with a take-home bag of healthy left-over food.

A government reports says that "there are approximately 170 non-school days in the year that Free School Meal pupils cannot access their entitlement to a school lunch, which is often the only regular hot meal that is available to them during the week.

"There is also recognition of increased pressure on families to feed children over the holiday periods where stretched household budgets are struggling to make sure children are well."

Beacon Heath is the second most deprived area in Exeter and hunger is a daily struggle for some families. The holidays make the situation worse and we want to stop school holiday hunger.

Help us to help our communities to help themselves.

A donation of

£2.50 provides one meal for one week

£10 provides one meal for all four weeks

£20 provides one child two meals for four weeks

Please donate, it doesn't matter if it one meal or months worth, we value every contribution.