We are seeking to make a difference in the needs of the community of Widnes, our vision is "helping our community". We want to bring life and hope into desperate situations!
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As an organisation, we exist to "help our community". This is our vision. A large part of our response to meeting needs in our community is focused on tackling food poverty, whether that's through providing Food Parcels, or via our Lunch Club (formerly known as Make Lunch) project that seeks to help families facing holiday hunger.
For the last three years we have been running a lunch club on Tuesday and Wednesday’s in all school holiday’s for children who receive free school meals, along with their parents. Our aim is to provide food, fun and friendship during what can be a really difficult time for families who face food insecurity and isolation during the school holidays. We currently support just over 40 children and young people, as well as their parents. All children receive free school meals and have been referred to us from their school pastoral team. We provide two nutritious meals (free of charge) for families to sit down and eat together. This meets the basic need of feeding families, but also helps to educate around good nutrition and provide a warm and safe space for children and parents to connect during the school holiday's.
We also run regular drop-in sessions for parents during term-time to connect, build friendship, meet in a warm space and to access our 'Kitchen Cupboard' project which provides free food, cleaning products and toiletries for families.
In 2022 we have run 20 lunch club sessions, supporting 52 children, 25 parents and providing 989 meals. Through our Kitchen Cupboard project we have provided 152 food parcels to 22 different families, equating to approximately 1500 meals.
Your support would help us to continue the work of Lunch Club and Kitchen cupboard, providing what has been described by one parent "a lifeline" to families during the school holidays.
Your donations will go towards the ongoing costs of making projects like our Kitchen Cupboard, and Lunch Club happen. This includes; resources, food, staffing costs, utilities, sports and craft equipment.
We are so grateful for your generosity, and we wanted you to know that your giving has had a HUGE impact. Your generosity has helped to relieve the stress and anxiety that many families face in the school holidays.
Here are some comments from some of the families that attend Lunch Club:
"We are so blessed and thankful to receive these lunches"
"If I ever have a problem I know I can speak to any of the volunteers"
"It brings everyone together and gets us out of the four walls at home"
"It's a place I can go to speak to other adults. I have met some lovely friends who are on my doorstep and I never knew. The people who run it are always there to help and have a chat."
"It helps to occupy the children while they're not at school and helps them to mix with other children their own age."
"If I hadn't of been referred by my kids primary school I would never of gone. But it's the best thing I did. It lifts my spirits seeing the teams smiles. Words cant describe how that makes a difference when your having a bad time. Just to forget the worries for a few hours is lovely."