Families are facing significant financial pressures to provide food for children during the summer school holidays, according to charities in Gloucestershire and Somerset. YMCA Cheltenham is hosting 'family fun days' to offer free, healthy food and activities, with 67 children and their families attending one such event in a single week.
Rob Charsley, head of communities, health and wellbeing at YMCA Cheltenham, stated that 18% of children in Cheltenham and 17% of Gloucester children experience very low food security. He noted that the summer can be a difficult time for parents dealing with financial pressures and food poverty.
In Somerset, Radstock Food Club has seen a rise in demand, now providing food to over 100 families. Sofia Perkins, who manages the club, observed that there appears to be less stigma associated with using food banks than in the past, but expressed concern over the increased need for food among families.