£20,770 helps tackle ‘holiday hunger’ in Eastern Berwickshire
Two grants totalling £20,770 have helped tackle ‘holiday hunger’ in Eastern Berwickshire over the last two years.
The Greencoat Drone Hill Community Fund Panel initially awarded £8,000 to the Radio Borders ‘Cash for Kids’ charity to extend the ‘Holiday Hunger’ programme that was operating in other parts of Scotland into the Drone Hill Fund area for the first time. The grant provided school holiday food vouchers and activity packs for disadvantaged children, and was later increased to £11,270 to support more children and include winter jackets. In 2022 a further £9,500 was awarded to extend the programme for another year.
Bauer Radio's Cash For Kids Charities (Scotland) first began in 2010 after radio fundraising appeals to sponsor projects supporting disabled and disadvantaged children in different regions of the UK. Its ‘Mission Christmas’ appeal sought gift donations for onward distribution to disadvantaged children, through local groups and grassroots charities, and a summer appeal typically raises funds subsequently distributed as grants to a range of projects benefiting disadvantaged children. All monies raised by each local Radio Station team are ring-fenced for distribution in the same locality as the radio station – but to date this had never reached Berwickshire.
At the same time, pockets of poverty in Eastern Berwickshire have increased, exacerbated by the economic effects of the pandemic and growing cost of living crisis disproportionately affecting the most vulnerable families.
Following discussions between Radio Borders Cash for Kids staff, Scottish Borders Council’s Early Years Support Worker for the Eastern Borders area, and headteachers from Reston, Co’Path and Coldingham primary schools, it was discovered that a number of children and their families in the Drone Hill area particularly struggled during school holidays. Poverty, and missing out on free school meals, meant holiday hunger was a real problem. Tight finances meant few activities, boredom, unhappiness and no holiday stories to tell when school re-started.
To tackle this, the Drone Hill Community Fund Panel agreed to award grant funds for food vouchers and activity packs which could be discreetly provided via the schools to those in need. Vouchers could be used at a range of stores, enabling parents to still feel in control of providing for the family, whilst ensuring that purchases were limited to family food and toiletries.
Initial research indicated 25 children in need of support, but post-pandemic effects and rising cost of living increased this to almost double when first rolled out in October 2021 school holidays. The Panel approved an increased grant to ensure nobody missed out.
In its first year, 49 children benefited during summer, October and Christmas holidays and the feedback received confirmed that the vouchers and packs made a real difference. The grant helped prevent hunger, increased play and educational opportunities for the children, reduced boredom and reduced parental and children’s anxieties during the holidays. Children returned to school with energy, enthusiasm and holiday stories to tell their pals.
A second grant was awarded in 2022, extending the programme further. Instead of activity packs, additional vouchers were provided, allowing families to choose their own books, games and resources. Vouchers allow for personal choice and greater flexibility, to meet the needs and preferences of individual children.
Grant funding from the Greencoat Drone Hill Community Fund is helping children to live their lives as normally as possible, avoid hunger and excessive hardships during holiday periods. The project is helping ensure that they have more of the same opportunities as their peers. The activities give them interesting stories to tell their friends when they return to school, and the warm winter clothing makes sure they are fully equipped to travel to and from school in the cold winter months.
The difference this makes to the children and their wellbeing is significant. The vouchers ease the pressures their families face while also ensuring children have healthy, nutritious meals, have fun, and keep warm. Parents aren't constantly worrying about money, which means the whole family is less anxious and stressed.
Whilst these grants tackle the immediate challenges of holiday hunger, poverty and disadvantage, they also have a preventative effect. Children return to school with energy, ready to learn and happier. In turn this helps to prevent bullying, stigma and discrimination. Together, these positive effects help children maximise their benefit from education as a platform hopefully for widening their life chances in the longer-term.