Free school meal vouchers for Cheddar families being funded for October half-term

Somerset County Council will again be providing help to families in need of support over the October half term.

The Department for Work and Pensions has extended its Covid Local Support Grant, providing £230,000 to Somerset County Council to support vulnerable families, along with £57,000 from the Department of Health and Social Care's Contain Outbreak Management Fund.

The Council is using the grant to fund food vouchers worth £15 per week for children eligible for free school meals for the October half term. Schools will also be provided with an additional 15% of funding to provide vouchers for other families in need of support.

The food vouchers will be distributed by local schools and Somerset County Council would like to thank the school staff who have undertaken the work to make sure the eligible families can access the vouchers.

A further £150,000 has been allocated by the Council to provide activities for children and young people who qualify for free school meals over the October half-term period.

Somerset County Council has been working to tackle holiday hunger, providing funding for food and vouchers over the school holidays since October 2020.

Cllr Frances Nicholson, Somerset County Council Lead Member for Children's Services said: "I am pleased that we are once again able to help families who need food support over the October half term. To be able to provide additional funds for fun, healthy activities that will benefit the children and young people is very positive indeed."

Anyone in Somerset who needs support with access to food or medicines, or emotional and financial support, can call the Somerset Coronavirus Helpline on 0300 790 6275, seven days a week, 8am to 6pm.