Brakes charity Meals & More has reported a huge increase in demand this summer, providing more than 250,000 meals to assist vulnerable families struggling in the cost-of-living crisis.
In addition, it has extended its Big Day Out programme, which helps to give children an enriching experience over the summer holidays, something that families may not otherwise be able to afford. This year, more than 2,000 children were given the opportunity to enjoy a Big Day Out.
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Meals & More was founded by Brakes when it recognised that millions of children were missing out on nutritious food when schools were closed for the holidays. While there has been greater recognition of the problem in recent years, 90% of people still underestimate or do not know the sheer scale of the problem, which sees more than 4m children living in poverty in the UK.
Peter McGrath, operations director at Meals & More, said: “I’m very proud of the support that Meals & More has delivered this year, but equally disappointed that we still must. We are so grateful that our supporters continue to fund us so generously, as without their donations we would not be able to help the tens of thousands of children that we do.
“The requirement for our support continues to grow and we would encourage other businesses to join us as we work to put an end to holiday hunger.”
