West Sussex children to get food vouchers over Easter holidays
They're being handed out to those receiving free school meals
West Sussex children who would normally receive free school meals will again be given supermarket meal vouchers for the Easter holiday.
West Sussex County Council is providing a £30 voucher for each eligible child for the two-week break.
16,000 pupils will be covered by the scheme, which follows similar ones which ran over the Christmas and February half-term breaks.
It takes the total value of supermarket vouchers distributed to free school meal-eligible families by the council to £1.2m.
The vouchers are again being funded by the government’s Winter Support Grant Scheme, which has been extended to cover Easter, and enables local authorities to give further financial support to those in need during the pandemic.
The West Sussex Community Hub remains open to support families and individuals who are experiencing financial hardship or are in need of supplies, including those not eligible for free school meals.
Nigel Jupp, West Sussex County Council's Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, said:
“Around 16,000 children in West Sussex benefit from this voucher scheme so it is welcome news that we are able to extend it over Easter to help families pay for their groceries.
"We know that many people are finding things difficult because of COVID-19 and I would encourage anyone who is struggling to contact the West Sussex Community Hub for support.”
As of last week, 93.2% of pupils attended schools across West Sussex, higher than both the national and regional average.
The West Sussex Community Hub is open from 8am-8pm, seven days a week and people can contact the Hub online or by calling 033 022 27980.