Help is at Hand as city council partner serves up its millionth meal

Help is at Hand in Stoke-on-Trent, with a major campaign to ensure residents know where to go for advice and support about nutritional, healthy food for them and their families.

It comes as The Hubb Foundation have announced that they have reached their milestone millionth meal distributed to children and young people in the city.

Supported by a broad range of organisations, The Hubb Foundation’s work is delivered on behalf of Stoke-on-Trent City Council and funded by the Department of Education through its Holiday, Activities and Food (HAF) programme.

Adam Yates, Chief Operating Officer at The Hubb Foundation, said: “In less than six years, we have served a million meals to children in Stoke-on-Trent and given them opportunities to take part in a range of activities that help make holiday memories special.

“It’s a remarkable achievement, delivered with a great deal of help from across the city including Stoke-on-Trent City Council, our trustees, the local community, and our business supporters. It shows what is achievable when partners work together to address a need.”

The end of the school holidays doesn’t mean the end of meals provided to those who need them. Through the Help is at Hand campaign, residents can find signposting to local agencies who can offer short- and long-term assistance if needed. This includes:

• Foodbanks
• Community pantries
• Free school meals
• Healthy Start

The Help is at Hand campaign has been co-ordinated by the city council in partnership with a range of community and voluntary organisations across the city. In the first phase of the campaign the city council has committed to ensuring every resident has access to a financial MoT and is now focusing on ensuring everyone has the nutritional, healthy food they need.

Councillor Sarah Jane Colclough, cabinet member for education and anti-poverty said: “No one in our community should have to face going hungry and that’s why we’re committed to working hard to address hardship and poverty in our communities. That means working to improve the local economy but also focused support for those who need it most.

“Another of our core aims at the city council is to work with our partners to invest in early support services and make sure families are helped to give their children the best start in life. That’s why it’s so fantastic to hear that the Hubb Foundation have distributed a million meals to families in the city.

“Around 250k of these meals were distributed thanks to the Hubb Foundation’s fantastic holiday provision which, in the summer, Easter and Christmas holidays, is funded thanks to our partnership with the Hubb Foundation to deliver the Holiday, Activities and Food (HAF) programme with funding from the Department for Education.”

Councillor Lyn Watkins, cabinet member for health and wellbeing said: “Accessing support when you need it should not be stigmatised. Many households are feeling anxious about the cost of living as we approach winter. The services and facilities that are available across the city are there for a reason. If you need them please make use of them.

“From Healthy Start funded food and milk for children to foodbanks, community pantries and services like The Bread and Butter Thing running from our Family Hubs where you can get high quality, surplus food that would otherwise go to waste, there’s support for everyone.”

Information on the range of advice, support and information on offer as part of the Help is at Hand campaign is available at www.stoke.gov.uk/helpisathand.