Hastings café to provide free meals for children during October half-term
A Hastings café will be providing free meals for children during the half-term holidays.
In the summer, The Grumpy Cook in Robertson Street, run by Barry Ashley, offered free meals for children after East Sussex County Council scrapped summer holiday food vouchers.
On its Facebook page on Wednesday (October 14), the café announced it is running the offer again this month.
It said: “During the summer, East Sussex County Council replaced automatic school holiday food vouchers with a new system of support.
“Now October half-term is approaching. We now know Citizens Advice 1066 are managing the Crisis & Resilience Fund but we understand the scheme is for sudden financial shocks, and school holidays don’t fall into that category.
“Yes, there are some council-funded holiday clubs offering food and activities in Hastings. But what about the thousands of children who won’t be attending them? Who is making sure those children have enough to eat?
“At The Grumpy Cook, we’ll once again be offering free meals for children during half-term, with no adult purchase necessary. We’re also preparing further support for families in the run-up to Christmas.
“If you needed help during the summer holidays, did you receive it? We’d like to hear from you. Because school holidays shouldn’t mean children going hungry.
“If you can help us you can donate here: https://grumpycook.co.uk/product-category/pay-it-forward-meals.”
When the county council made its decision to scrap summer holiday food vouchers Hastings Labour MP Helena Dollimore wrote to Reform council leader Andy Woolley calling on him to reverse the decision to suspend free summer food vouchers.
She launched a petition, calling for the vouchers to be reinstated, branding the council's actions 'totally unacceptable'.
A fundraising campaign by teacher James Dart to support The Grumpy Cook in providing free meals to children also raised more than £17,000.
Reform East Sussex said the Government has given East Sussex £7.3 million to support people in financial hardship through the Crisis and Resilience Fund.
A spokesperson said the money is not new and ‘largely replaces funding councils have had for years’, and is meant to be targeted at those ‘in greatest need rather than paid as a universal voucher to everyone’.