Published: Monday 6 December 2021
Almost 4,000 children will be eligible for free school meal vouchers in Kensington and Chelsea during the winter break.
The Council has committed to funding meals during the holidays from October 2021 to Easter 2022, as part of a package of support to help families with rising living costs this winter.
It is estimated the cost to the Council for the Christmas break will be around £150,000 and £425,000 for all school holidays through to April 2022.
A host of activities will be available to all children during the winter break, including holiday camps, sports and games across the borough.
Cllr Josh Rendall, Lead Member for Children and Family Services, said:
“Children should be able to enjoy the magic of Christmas and the winter holidays without worrying about feeling hungry. That’s why we’ve provided vouchers to families who get free school meals in term time throughout the pandemic and will continue to do so this Christmas.
“There’s plenty of free activities going on across Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster for children and young people, from holiday camps to sports, games and free visits to attractions too.”
To find out more about what is available for children and young people in the holiday activities programme, visit https://ourcity.org.uk/.
The Council was one of the first to back Marcus Rashford’s campaign last year to fund free school meals during the October half term and continues to support families.
Having received £1.18m from the Government’s Household Support Fund, those on low incomes could be eligible for support with food and fuel through the winter.
This will fund transport for residents in housing estates in the south of the borough, to the larger supermarkets in the north of the borough and neighbouring boroughs, which offer better value for money and a greater range of food and essentials.
There are further plans to improve the affordable food offer in the borough, with extra funding for local charities who provide hot food seeing an increase in demand.
For advice on coping with rising energy bills, visit our environment pages.