- Morrisons Community Champions will partner with local schools, community groups and HAF (The Holiday Activities and Food Programme) in a move that aims to help prevent holiday hunger this summer -
Morrisons has today announced its continued commitment to supporting local communities by joining the national effort to help prevent holiday hunger this summer.
The school holidays can be a difficult time for families as many low-income households may experience food poverty and social isolation.
That’s why each of Morrisons 497 stores and 25 manufacturing and logistic sites will be supporting activity programmes arranged by local schools, community groups and HAF (The Holiday Activities and Food Programme), by donating nutritious food to local holiday clubs being held across the country.
The HAF programme was set up by the government to support hundreds of thousands of children and their families throughout the school holidays. The programme, backed by around £200 million every year to 2024, aims to provide healthy food and enriching activities to children and young people, with free places available for those on free school meals.
Morrisons Community Champions will work closely with local holiday clubs to identify and provide the foods they need the most such as fresh fruit, cereal, sandwiches, snacks and drinks.
Rebecca Singleton, Customer and Community Director at Morrisons, said: “Supporting local communities is incredibly important to us and we know that the summer holidays can be a difficult time for families concerned about holiday hunger.
“Schools, community groups and HAF aim to support children with healthy food at activity clubs during the school holidays, that is why we’re donating £100,000 worth of nutritious food to support the needs of local clubs across the country to help prevent families from experiencing holiday hunger this summer.”
To help those in need, Morrisons already gives surplus food to local causes, such as food banks through its unsold food programme. In addition to that, its Food Bank ‘Pick Up Pack’ scheme in store, allows customers to purchase a bag filled with a mix of food products, which are distributed to local food banks and community organisations by in-store Community Champions supporting individuals and families.
Morrisons manufacturing sites and distribution centres also work with a range of organisations including Fareshare, Company Shop and The Bread and Butter Thing, to redistribute surplus food throughout their communities.
The Holiday Activities and Food programme supported over 600,000 children last summer, and is proven to benefit children’s wellbeing, behaviour, physical activity and social skills.