A SPECIAL fund and scheme has been set up in a North-East town so that children can have enough food in the summer holidays.

Hartlepool Borough Council has launched its Holiday Hunger food parcel scheme for the first time this summer due to concerns that some children no longer having a meal at school will go hungry.

Councillors have earmarked £13,000 to fund the food parcel initiative and set aside a further £25,000 to award grants to community groups to give children food at summer activity events.

About a third of all children in Hartlepool are in poverty, according to Government data, which is in line with many other towns in the North-East.

Under the pilot scheme, families with children who would normally be entitled to free school meals and are struggling to eat, can apply for a food parcel once per week at one of three venues across the town.

Only 480 food parcels have been put together, but they each contain a substantial amount of food which might help a whole family have a decent meal. The parcels contain a lot of dry food and tinned food.

A council spokesman explained there is also an educational side to the programme, as the food is all healthy and will have to be cooked properly by parents and guardians.

Hartlepool Foodbank (The Trussell Trust) is putting together the food parcels, which will also include access to advice and information for residents including other support services available such as money advice and healthy recipes.

Councillor Christopher Akers-Belcher, leader of Hartlepool council, said: “We are aware that there are high levels of deprivation in parts of our town and this scheme is designed to assist the most hard-pressed families with children.

“Children obviously miss out on school meals during the six week summer holidays, so providing an alternative way to feed children is a priority and worth exploring through this pilot.

“The council itself is facing enormous financial challenges moving forward, but prudent financial management means that we are in a position to launch schemes such as this which are vital to the well-being of the local community.”

All the money for food in the community group scheme has been allocated, with 18 organisations involved. The extra £13,000 for individual families has come from the council's Child and Family Poverty Reserve fund.

For further information, contact Steven Carter, Health Improvement Practitioner via steven.carter@hartlepool.gov.uk or call 01429 523583.