Supporting low-income families

Low-income households are at a significant disadvantage as child food poverty worsens

In the UK, the equivalent of roughly 9 children in an average classroom of 30 are facing food insecurity. The connection between child poverty and educational challenges is clear, putting kids from lower-income families at a significant disadvantage. Unfortunately, the situation is worsening due to an ongoing cost of living crisis, creating added stress, and limiting opportunities for these children.

The Education Anti-Poverty Coalition conducted a survey involving over 1,000 school professionals across England. The results paint a troubling picture, with school staff witnessing tired, hungry, and anxious students who lack essential resources. This not only affects the children but also diverts the attention of school staff from their regular duties to address poverty-related needs, creating a negative impact on both schools and students.

School food banks are now commonplace, and a study by the University of Bristol revealed that there are more schools running food banks themselves than charities. Read more about the reality of school food banks in the UK here. 

While this may come as a surprise to the public, these findings only reinforce the realities experienced by many of City Harvest’s school partners. Across the country, schools are now operating lifesaving foodbanks to ensure that students and their families can access food and other necessities essential to health, nutrition and wellbeing. Both in and out of school term time, school-run foodbanks are vital to the current food security of households with children.

According to researchers Alice Bradbury and Sharon Vice, schools that opened foodbanks likely did so due to the “ethics of care” model, whereby the schools and teachers felt a moral obligation to ensure that their students receive healthy and nutritious food.

“People who are starting to need the food bank are embarrassed to ask for help. When we see children with nothing in their packed lunch, we find them food from the kitchen and make up a food parcel from the food bank and discreetly give it to the parents.” – City Harvest Primary School Partner in West London

Public sector staff, including teachers, face food insecurity as cost of living continues to rise

The urgency of the child poverty crisis is intensified by the increasing burden on low-income households, including school staff and poorly paid teachers. Today some educators find themselves turning to food banks as they struggle to make ends meet. The severity of the situation has reached a point where individuals are considering leaving their jobs due to the challenges of affording commuting expenses.

These circumstances extend beyond schools, with 5.7 million low-income UK households skipping meals due to financial constraints.

In response, City Harvest, a London-based non-profit organisation, works tirelessly to deliver 1.2 million free meals monthly to community partners, making a positive impact on our society and the planet. This impact is evident at John Perryn School in Acton, where a weekly food bank has been established to assist parents – and staff – facing the rising cost of living and the surge in child food poverty.

Sam, a learning support assistant, and a parent at John Perryn School, highlights the vital support provided by City Harvest: “The food deliveries help me out a lot, they’ve helped so many families.”

This winter, City Harvest aims to deliver half a million meals to children and families facing food poverty during the colder months. City Harvest’s mission involves rescuing surplus food and delivering it free of charge to community partners, including schools and youth centres.