Half-term hunger worries as food bank usage in London soars
Video report by ITV News London Reporter Martin Stew
Thousands of children in the capital will break up for half term this Friday. But too many will spend the holiday wondering where their next meal is coming from. Pressure has been growing on the government to help support families who rely on free school meals during school holidays and on Wednesday, Labour will force a vote on that in Parliament.
The government insists it is already helping families, but food poverty is only growing worse in London and across the UK.
Every year, eight million people struggle to put food on the table in the UK, and even before the pandemic, food bank use was increasing exponentially.
Food bank charity the Trussell Trust predicts a 61% rise in their use this winter because of the pandemic. Across London, 19% children claim free school meals. At the Fulham Cross Academy, every single child is offered a free hot lunch every day. Teachers say since introducing the pilot scheme, concentration and energy levels have improved. The picture is bleak in the borough; the figure in Hammersmith and Fulham has risen by 22% in a year. And Teachers worry what will happen to the poorest kids this half term. Kalifat Oduneye is a single mum of four children in Camberwell.
She's had to rely on food banks before and has gone hungry to ensure there's enough to feed her kids. "Everybody is just looking for a way out," she told ITV News London. "This period is tough, it's not easy. We all need to come together as a community and help each other." Half a mile down the road, the old Curry's superstore has become a makeshift food bank. Alone, this food bank has provided 260,000 meals in the last year alone. Since March demand has quadrupled.
Technology and the generosity of Londoners is helping. Website Bankuet, allows people to donate money online ensuring products most needed can be bought cheaply in bulk. Founder, Robin Ferris, has been a volunteer at Wandsworth foodbank for almost 18 years.
"At the height of lockdown we know that three million people went hungry. Recent stats say that a food parcel is going to be needed every 10 seconds, six every minute, this winter, so we're in the middle of an emergency scenario."
Eight million people - the population of London - go hungry in the UK every year.
December 2019 was the busiest time ever for foodbanks, and that, as Mr Ferris says, was in a "robust economy".
"I wouldn't want to predict anything this year, I don't think anyone would, but with furlough ending, increased unemployment, that can only lead to more people using food banks."
Christina Adane, from London, launched a petition on asking Prime Minister Boris Johnson not to abolish the provision of free school meals. She talks to Charlene White about why it is such an important issue
But critics of the government, including footballer Marcus Rashford think it should not be up to charities to feed our children. The Manchester United footballer, who has just been made an MBE for his services to vulnerable children, said recently: “Merry Christmas kids…
“It’s also not for food banks to feed millions of British children but here we are. 250% increase in food poverty and rising…
“This is not going away anytime soon and neither am I…”
And the Labour Party is now backing his campaign to extend free school meals during holidays.
Fulham Cross Academy executive principle Sally Brooks told ITV News London: "We should definitely be extending the provision during holidays.
"We know that a number of our families attend food banks and go and get support from that. If we knew we were able to feed our families; even during lockdown our staff were taking food to the homes of our children.
"So if we were able to do that during the holidays, I think it would make a massive difference."
The hot lunches at Fulham Cross have made a huge difference to many of the children.
"You wouldn't worry about having an empty stomach. You wouldn't be worry about the fact you were really hungry," one pupil told ITV News London.
Another said: "Before I came to secondary school I was quite fearful about it, but now that we have free school meals I don't worry as much."
"Sometimes I'm really hungry and the fact that I know that I'm going to eat here and I don't have to pay for it or I don't have to worry about it makes me concentrate even more," another added.
But as the pandemic continues into the winter, campaigners are concern that many more thousands of children and their families will simply not get the support they need.