Here’s the latest from Ellie Pool – Manager of Loaves & Fishes:
“2019 saw the fourth year of the Summer Lunch Project taking place. The aim of the project was to reach families who struggle to feed their children during the long summer break. Packed lunches were distributed to all the children who came to one of the five pick up points in Addlestone and Chertsey, regardless of circumstances. Volunteers reported that parents expressed gratitude for the availability of the lunches and the positive impact this initiative has had in the community.
The Project exceeded expectations: The grand total for the four weeks of August was 2247 lunches! This represents an unanticipated 40% increase over last year. Over 100 parents/carers were also offered lunch on Fridays.
Our Friday Stay, Play and Eat sessions, where cooked lunches are served to children, were very popular, reaching 180 children from 99 families during the four weeks. These sessions also provided a place for parents/carers to socialise whilst the children had opportunity for play, craft activities, face painting, tattoos, bouncy castle and a small animal petting experience. We were also visited by a character stiltwalker and Peppa Pig. This party atmosphere promotes relationships and community cohesion where all activities are available freely and therefore not restricted by family budgets.
We were very grateful to receive a grant of £500 from Runnymede Deanery this year. This enabled us to book and pay for activities at the Stay, Play and Eat sessions including a very popular bouncy castle allowing children to burn off surplus energy and quiet, therapeutic small animal petting which had a wonderful, calming effect on both adults and children.
A huge thank you must also go to our team of volunteers from St Paul’s church family, Hebrews customers, Foodbank volunteers and users, County Care service users, Beacon Church Chertsey, local school staff and others who saw the publicity – it is the volunteers who made the project possible and so successful.”