Muswell Hill Foodbank supports 13 Haringey and Barnet schools with new parcel scheme
Coppetts Wood headteacher Kirstie Barrett (left) takes delivery of food parcels from Muswell Hill Foodbank manager Vic Mason. Picture: Muswell Hll Foodbank - Credit: Archant
Around 360 children from Haringey and Barnet schools will receive up to three weekly food parcels from Muswell Hill Foodbank (MHF) over the summer holiday.
Around 360 pupils will receive up to three weekly food parcels from Muswell Hill Foodbank (MHF) over the summer holiday.
MHF’s summer top-up food for families (STUFF) scheme launched this week and it will support 13 schools in Haringey and Barnet.
Pupils who receive free school meals will access the project and their families can collect from MHF up to three times until August 19 and between September 2-4.
Coppetts Wood Primary School in Barnet and Rokesly Primary in Crouch End have had food parcels delivered by the foodbank this week and will receive further parcels over the next three weeks.
Muswell Hill Foodbank manager Vic Mason said: “We’ve been bowled over by the generosity of our local community during the pandemic so we have plenty of stock at the moment.
“Cash donations also mean we can buy in any stock we’re short of.
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“We hate the idea of children going hungry over the summer and families having to struggle to provide three meals a day.
“Our volunteers have been working hard to contact schools and sign them up over the past few weeks.
“Many of the schools we’ve approached have been very keen to see their families benefit from the scheme.”
Vic thought of the scheme last month when it was uncertain whether the government would provide vouchers to children on free school meals over the summer holiday.
Following England footballer Marcus Rashford’s successful campaign to persuade Whitehall to continue providing vouchers, foodbank volunteers agreed an extra parcel for struggling families would still be worthwhile.
Coppetts Wood headteacher Kirstie Barrett took a delivery of 60 food bags on Monday (July 20) which families can collect from the school.
“Coppetts Wood passionately believes in supporting the whole community,” the headteacher said.
“Not just with learning but recognising the wider challenges at this time.”
MHF’s food parcels contain 15-20kg of non-perishable food including milk, cereal, fruit juice, tinned soup, baked beans, fruit and vegetables, fish, pasta and rice pudding.
