Bristol Charities Unite to Distribute Christmas Packages Amidst Increasing Child Poverty

Charities in Bristol have announced a collaborative effort to assemble Christmas packages filled with food and presents, in response to increasing child poverty. FareShare South West, in conjunction with Children’s Scrapstore, Unique Voice, and The Children’s Kitchen, is preparing over 1,000 food parcels destined for families throughout Bristol. This initiative occurs against a backdrop of increasing child poverty, with FareShare reporting that one in three children are currently experiencing poverty, an increase from one in four children last year. Josie Forsyth, the deputy CEO of FareShare South West, explained the necessity of their work, stating: “The free school meals for kids stop over the holidays and the heating bills rise, so we step up our operations.” FareShare South West operates as a charity dedicated to redistributing surplus food from the food industry to schools and other charitable organizations in need. Ms Forsyth further commented on the escalating demand, remarking: “The need is growing,” and adding, “We had the pandemic and then we had the cost of living crisis, and that hasn’t gone away.” She elaborated that the packages would contain recipe books along with corresponding food ingredients for meals. Furthermore, materials for creative activities, provided by the Children’s Scrapstore, will also be included. Ms Forsyth concluded by emphasizing the impact of these provisions, stating: “They [the parcels] bring the magic of Christmas to children all over the city.” Kelly Wyatt, who manages the Children’s Scrapstore, confirmed that a variety of craft materials and an accompanying instruction book were provided for the activities. Ms Wyatt specified: “There’s a mix of things from cardboard paper, colourful sheets, googly eyes.” Ms Wyatt further articulated the significance of these contributions: “Being able to give an activity pack and the food at Christmas time when we all know money is tight, to be able to receive a present like this, will be so beneficial to families.” She added, “There’s so many families out there that need this. It’s not just food, it’s the activities as well. It’s really important to us.” The funding for this initiative originates from the holiday activities and food programme, administered by the Department for Education, which aims to offer supplementary support to families during school holidays when free school meals are unavailable. For updates, follow BBC Bristol on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story ideas can be submitted via email or WhatsApp at 0800 313 4630. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available for review.