On hearing that the Government had rejected the plan to extend free school meals my son Noah who's nine, asked if he could do something to help. We found out that more than 1.4 million children experience food insecurity during the holidays, according to the Food Foundation, while 6.3 per cent of children are worried about going hungry during the impending October half-term- shocking when you think about it.

FAR is a small community charity in Newcastle that provide amazing support for local families and free meals for children during the holidays. We decided to try and raise some money for them this weekend.

We decided not to do 'super' challenge but more of a walking demostration with the hope we can raise a few quid to help children who really need it. Across the weekend we are going to walk/hike both days to try and clock up some demostration miles!

It seems so unfair that children have to suffer and go hungry. (* Members of Parliament each receive £400 a month for food on top of salary & in addition have a subsidised canteen. So MPs effectively get #FreeSchoolMeals to the tune of £100 a week all year round!)

It is estimated almost 93,000 pupils in the North East received free school meals in the last academic year, with 16,500 eligible children in County Durham and 7,526 in Northumberland.

The North East has the highest proportion of pupils in receipt of free school meals at all ages, with the proportion of pupils in the region eligible for receiving free school meals rising at a faster rate than elsewhere.

Please just donate what you can, every penny raised will go towards providing meals for children.