Dorset Care Home Helps Families Struggling To Put Food On The Table

Residents and staff at a Dorset care home are doing their bit to help tackle child food poverty this summer.

More than 20 bags of tinned and dried food donations have been collected at Colten Care’s Avon Reach home in Mudeford and handed over to Christchurch Food Bank Plus.

The items will be used in food packages in response to the bank’s ‘School Summer Holiday Hunger Rush’ appeal.

Its aim is to ensure local families in need can continue to feed children who would, in term time, receive free school meals.

The number of children eligible for free school meals nationally has risen during the pandemic and the whole issue of food poverty has been highlighted in prominent campaigning by the England international footballer Marcus Rashford.

This summer’s Christchurch appeal asked especially for tinned items such as fruit, custard, hot dogs and meatballs as well as jelly, dry rice and UHT milk.

Residents, relatives, staff and visitors at Avon Reach all helped to gather food to include in the bags.

Tracy Blick, Manager of Christchurch Food Bank Plus, said: “We are so grateful for donations and it is lovely to think that older generations are prepared to help.

“Last summer we provided 4,000 food parcels for local families and we think it will be about the same this year.”

Avon Reach resident Edna Buckingham said: “It was lovely to support the food bank and help out local families in the area. I hope we will continue to support them.”