Knighton and Presteigne Foodbank is ready to help families during the summer holidays

Knighton & Presteigne Foodbank is preparing for a significant increase in referrals to support parent and carers of school age children who during term receive free school meals and breakfasts.

The holiday break can put a strain on already hard pressed families and finding money for extra meals can be difficult if you are on a low wages, working tax credits, disability benefits or claiming Universal Credit.

The foodbank has undertaken to offer additional help by providing food parcels to parents of school age children during July and August, plus summer essentials such as children's sunhats, sunglasses and suncream.

This extra support comes as the cost of living forces many in the community to make hard choices about having food and keeping clean, as families experience financial hardship and increased fuel and energy bills impact on those with little or no money left to support their families.

Foodbank manager Helen Anderson said: “Many of these families are likely to be those who are in work but on low wages and receiving universal credit to “top-up” their income. For the self-employed there are additional challenges in trying to navigate the complexities of Universal Credit.

“As this crisis unfolds, more people will find themselves without money for food let alone maintaining a semblance of normal life, such as keeping clean and clothes washed, with most telling us they forgo having toothpaste, shampoo or laundry detergent.

“What many people consider as basic living items, for others have become “luxuries” especially when they are trying to provide for babies, children, teens or young adults.

“We could not offer this level of support were it not for the generous individual financial donations and supportive local community groups who fundraise on our behalf.

“Thankfully as a result of regular standing orders and one-off cash donations, we have been able to respond to the increased number of food parcels needed, by purchasing items to re-stock our bare shelves.

“This situation can only be sustained with the goodwill of donors and ensures we can offer food, baby basics,Tots2Teens hygiene plus vouchers to exchange in our local butcher and greengrocer shops.

“We pride ourselves on letting folk choose their own food from our shelves in peace and quiet, which gives them dignity and is so much kinder and less stressful. In this way we hope to maximise the client’s limited income and help them get back on track.

“Our ethos is to give every individual a hand-up, not a handout until there is an uplift in their situation they find themselves in, through no fault of their own.

The food bank encourages any family struggling during the school holiday to contact Helen Anderson and in this instance they do not need a referral from a support agency.

To contact Helen email [email protected], call 07731 524 058 or visit www.knightonfoodbank.co.uk