Inside the primary school 'food shop' ensuring children don't go hungry over summer break

When the ‘food shop’ first opened at Mandeville Primary School, grandmother-of-two Irene was reluctant to go.

“There was a bit of stigma, at the start,” the Hackney local says. “I thought, ‘I don’t want to, I don’t want to.’ I had to tell myself: ‘Irene, you need it. Just go.’ That negative feeling changed really quickly.”

The school’s weekly ‘food shop’ is supplied by The Felix Project, a London-based food redistribution charity. Parents and carers of pupils at the school can come and take what they need, picking up fresh fruit and vegetables and other nutritious foodstuffs.

• The Felix Project: How one charity is tackling food waste and hunger in London – and offering hope
• More than two thirds of teachers worry children will go hungry this summer: ‘Beyond heart-breaking’

Irene cares for her two grandsons, aged six and 15. The food shop ensures the pair get a “decent meal”.

“Everyone there, you see them happy and excited, lining up with their bags and trolleys, nattering away,” she says.

“Vegetables are so expensive at the supermarket, going up a pound here, a pound there. I get my meat at the supermarket, then often get my veg here at the shop. It is good, it really helps.”

Last year, The Felix Project delivered the equivalent of 3.6 million meals to children and families in London, rescuing perfectly good food from the bins of supermarkets, restaurants and farms. As the cost of living crisis continues to squeeze household budgets, their work could not be more urgent.  

The school holidays – when families may lose access to free school meal support – are a particularly difficult time. New research suggests that more than two thirds (68%) of teachers worry that at least one child in their class will experience hunger over the break. Around 13% of teachers fear that one in six will be impacted.

The break poses a “significant risk” to the health and happiness of pupils, says Marc Thompson, headteacher at Mandeville.

“It’s a huge issue, one that we must take really seriously. Our primary purpose is to make sure that the children are safe. And that is not just about what we deliver in school, it’s about what we deliver outside of school.

“Food is the most essential thing. If these children are going hungry, how can they thrive? Their lives are exponentially more difficult.”

The mayor of London Sadiq Khan has pledged to support children eligible for free school meals throughout the school holidays; this funding supports The Felix Project to supply 170 schools across London. The money will help The Felix Project to supply the Mandeville Primary School food shop over the break. In a student body where 60% of pupils are eligible for free school meals, it’s a game changer.

Local mum Stephanie often attends the food shop with her daughter. She described the support as “fantastic”.

“I work part time, and most of my money goes on bills. When you see what’s left, it can feel like: what do I do?” she says.

“During the summer holidays is very, very difficult because it’s breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, dessert. But I take [my daughter] to the food shop, she can pick aubergines, potatoes, loads of healthy things. We can spend time cooking in the kitchen together with them.”

While the stigma of accepting help was initially a problem, it’s now “swung in the other direction”, Thompson explains.

“Our school is a community, us helping each other not such a big deal – it shouldn’t be a big deal,” he says.

“We all know each other, which I think helps people feel more comfortable in that relationship. Stephanie is a member of our PTA, for example, she comes in and supports us with covering a nursery on one day, or helping out with sports day.

“Life can be challenging for all of us, and being able to accept help is not something that should make you feel anything negative.”

The Felix Project charity provides a range of services including large scale food deliveries, nutritious prepared meals and cook-at-home meal kits.

They’re plugging a desperate gap; up to 645,000 children across England could go hungry this summer.

The scale of child hunger should be front and centre of the UK political agenda, urges Charlotte Hill, CEO of The Felix Project.

“That any child might experience hunger and not have access to enough nutritious food during the school holidays is heart-breaking,” she said. “However, through [our survey] results we can see there are many teachers out there worried up to six children per class may be in this position – that’s beyond heart-breaking, that’s shameful for our society.”

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Thanks to the food shop, Irene and Stephanie’s kids and grandkids won’t number in this grim tally.

“People would go hungry [without the shop],” Irene says. “Children would go hungry.”

“There is a need in the community. Families are suffering, they would suffer a lot more without this,” Stephanie adds. “Having access to healthy food changes everything.”

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