Food parcels for children eligible for free school meals will continue over summer holidays

Food parcels for pupils eligible for free school meals will continue to be delivered every week throughout the summer holidays.

The weekly food parcel contains enough food items to provide both breakfast and lunch for a child for five days. For pupils with special dietary requirements, a five-day frozen meal option is delivered.

The food parcels which started at the end of April replaced the packed lunch provision that was put in place when schools closed in March.

Around 5,000 food parcels are delivered each week to homes across the county borough. They include a variety of fresh fruit and vegetables, pasta, sauces and tinned food.

The food parcels go some way to helping families whose children would otherwise be benefiting from a free school meal in their local schools. To date, the provision has included the school Easter holidays and the school spring half-term break, and now will also include the summer holiday break from July 20 to August 31. Having evaluated a range of options, the council continues to believe that the delivery of food parcels containing up to five days’ worth of nutritious breakfast and lunch items has been more effective and ultimately better for local children than alternative arrangements.

It has prevented families from undertaking unnecessary travel during the height of the pandemic, has avoided potential problems with access and has provided an extra level of reassurance that children have been receiving the food. The system is also continuing to support safeguarding arrangements during the pandemic by enabling additional face-to-face contact from school staff and our Vulnerable Groups Team.

As well as supporting Welsh food suppliers, each parcel takes into account specific dietary requirements, and includes ‘life-skill’ recipe cards which have encouraged children and adults to prepare meals together, learn about nutrition and more. We ask that parents are available to answer the door to collect the delivery as no deliveries will be left unattended. However, parcels can now also be left with neighbours. Delivery staff will maintain social distancing procedures at all times.

Bridgend County Borough Council’s cabinet member for education Charles Smith

If you live in Bridgend county borough and receive any of the following benefits, you can claim free school meals for your school-aged child:

• income support
• income based jobseeker's allowance
• support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• income-related employment and support allowance
• child tax credit (but not working tax credit) if your annual income as assessed by tax credits does not exceed £16,190
• guaranteed element of pension credit
• working tax credit 'run-on' (the payment someone may receive for a further four weeks after they stop qualifying for working tax credit)
• universal credit (not in work)
• universal credit (in work) where your award is based on net annual earnings of under £7,400 from your employment or self-employment

If your circumstances have changed due to Covid-19 you can submit an application for free school meals online.

For more information visit the council’s webpage on weekly food parcels for children.