STROUD District Council is working with community groups to ensure that families whose children normally receive free school meals won’t go hungry during the autumn half term holiday.

The meals will be largely provided by community organisations which have provided meals to people in need during the Coronavirus pandemic. They include GL11 Community Hub, Wotton Area Mutual Aid (WAMA), The Long Table and All Pulling Together (APT).

The cost of the meals for children will be funded by Stroud District Council’s Community Resilience Fund, which has distributed grants totalling £53,664 to 58 community groups since April.

Around 1,500 children in the Stroud district are eligible for free school meals.

Cllr Doina Cornell, Leader of Stroud District Council said: “Covid has hit some families much harder than others, through no fault of their own. Making sure local kids have a decent meal can make all the difference to young lives. It is heart-warming to see how our community has stepped up to help those who need it most.”

If you need help to feed your children during half term, you can find full details of the community groups in your area here: www.stroud.gov.uk/freeschoolmeals

If you are a community group that is helping to feed children in need, you can find out how to claim the cost back here: www.stroud.gov.uk/freeschoolmealsfunding

If you have recently lost your job, or had your income reduced you may be eligible for Universal Credit and/or Council Tax support. There’s more information on our website: www.stroud.gov.uk/benefits