West country mums join 24hr hunger strike to protest child poverty
Mothers across the region are demanding action to tackle food security
Last updated 29th Mar 2025
Mums from across the South West are taking part in a nationwide campaign demanding action on child hunger.
The group of mothers will undergo a day-long hunger strike and gather in Bristol and Plymouth to raise awareness.
"25% of family households haven't got enough food to feed themselves in the UK, which is shocking for such a wealthy country," said Jo, a mum and charity worker from Somerset.
Jo will be a part of the action in Bristol on Saturday, as part of Mother's Day weekend.
"We are mothers standing in solidarity and demanding everyone has a right to food.
"It's a political choice for people to be hungry in this day and age and it doesn't have to be this way."
These regional strikes coincide with a five-day hunger strike outside Parliament, where campaigners will demand immediate government action.
The women are calling for universal free school meals, an Essentials Guarantee for Universal Credit and stronger commitments to global food security, climate action and debt justice.
"We cannot stand by while families suffer"
Emma Hopkins, organiser of the Mothers Manifesto movement, said: “In cities across the UK, we see mothers and fathers making impossible choices every day - skipping meals to feed their children, cutting back on essentials and still coming up short.
"We cannot stand by while families suffer. We are calling on the government to act now and to address the structural inequality driving food poverty.”
In response, a government spokesperson said: “No one should be living in poverty, and we know that the best route out of poverty for struggling families is well paid, secure work."
“That is why we are reforming our broken welfare system so it helps people into good jobs, boosting living standards and putting money in people’s pockets.
“Alongside this, our Child Poverty Taskforce is building an ambitious strategy to give all children the best start in life while we increase the Living Wage, uprate benefits, and support 700,000 of the poorest families by introducing a Fair Repayment Rate on Universal Credit deductions to help low-income households.”
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