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Thursday, October 29, 2020 3

NEWBURYNEWS

Newbury Weekly News

Communitiesrally to help out THIS week has seen an outpouring of support for families who may be strug- gling to feed their children during half-term. groups able to best distribute them to those in need. Localpeopleg, roupasndbusinessesstepuptosupporftamiliestrugglintgofeedchildren Reporbt y SARAHBOSLEY email sarah.bosley@newbuyrnews.co.uk

She said it was important that people realised how diffi- cult coming forward to ask for help would be for some people this week, but the local busi- nesses were all keen to stress that there would be no ques- tions and no judgement from any of them. Ryan Stacey, landlord at The Pheasant, Highclere, has created 30 meat and veg boxes for families in need this week and said 20 families had already come forward to request one. “I just think it has been a rubbish year and if this means some children don’t go hungry this half term that’s great,” he said. “I have four daughters and the thought that there are kids out there not getting a meal is pretty rubbish.” The food boxes have been created in partnership with his suppliers, Thatcham Butchers and Chef ’s Delight, and will provide three meals for a family of four. Hungerford Town Football Club is also offering free jacket potatoes from its Bulpit Lane ground today, from noon. Any child who receives free school meals from John O’Gaunt School or Hunger- ford, Lambourn, Inkpen, Chad- dleworth St Andrew’s and Kintbury primary schools can register by emailing hunger- fordtown@gmail.com or phon- ing (01488) 760088. Free deliv- ery is also available. A website has been set up to help parents find out, locally, where they can get support this half-term – allofusto- gether.uk – and includes the following locations:

and wanted to do now. “It is very, very sad that the hospitality industry, that is on its knees itself, is having to do this; it’s a sad sign of the times.” The decision by shops, pubs, charities and other businesses to step in and help comes after Conservative MPs last week voted against a motion calling to extend free school meals over the holidays until next Easter. Footballer Marcus Rashford, who headed up the campaign to get the Government to extend free school meal provi- sion to include school holi- days, said the businesses had “wrapped your arms around your community to catch chil- dren as they fell”. Kayleigh Powell, from West Berkshire Community Baby Bank, said it was working hard to match offers of help to the

Nearly 3,000 children across West Berkshire are registered for free school meals and the community has rallied in villages and towns to help ensure none of them go hungry. Chris and Mig Young, who took over as landlords at The Bunk Inn, Curridge, 18 months ago, said they wanted to help the community that had rallied around them when they had most needed it. “We have had quite a lot of demand already,” Mr Young told the Newbury Weekly News just before the paper went to press yesterday (Wednesday). “It is sad that we have had that many people in need, but everyone is very appreciative. “The local community rallied round us to get the busi- ness out of hibernation and this is something we could do

SupplieastWestBerkshirFeoodbank Foodbank’ s thanks for local generosity WESTBerkshireFoodbankdistributed 107 food parcelsonMonday and took in a massive 1,800kg(more than 1.5 tonnes)of food. “We have taken in a huge amount of food over the last 24 hours and want to thank the people of West Berkshire for their amazinggenerosity,” said one of the helpers, Ros Barker. The foodbankvolunteershave particular praise for local schools who have really got behind the harvest boxes campaign, with hundreds of brilliantly-decorated food boxes being delivered daily. “So many schools have been involved this year and we want to thank themall,” said Mrs Barker. The charity, based at GreenhamBusiness Park, is burstingwith donations, which all have to be separated and itemised, as well as date checked. Mrs Barker added: “We are always looking for more volunteersto help sort all the food, pack it up and to drive it out. “We would welcome anyone who can give some of their time to help out. “And of course any food you can donate is always needed – a healthy balanceof meat, fish, fruit and vegetables, plus tinned goods and a few treats thrown in will all go to families in need.” One of the volunteers, Andrew, summed up the situation simply: “The Government says no, West Berkshire people say yes.”

 West Berkshire Foodbank  Newbury  Thai Golden Horse, North- brook Street, Newbury  Riverside Community Centre, Newbury  The Bunk Inn, Curridge  The Crown & Horns, East Ilsley  Hampstead Norreys Community Shop  The Village Chocolate Café, Goring  The Village Shop, Wool- hampton  The Pheasant, Highclere  Fionavon, Village Shop, Compton  Boswell’s Café, Kennet Centre, Newbury More help and support can also be found from the follow- ing: ChrisandMigYoungattheBunkInn,Curridge Numee, Essex Street,

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 West Berkshire Health Visi- tors – West Berkshire: 0300 303 3944 or email: HVWBRDG- Duty@berkshire.nhs.uk  West Berkshire Foodbank Crisis line – (01635) 760560 or www.westberks.food- bank.org.uk  West Berkshire Family Hubs – East, Central, West https://info.westberks.gov.uk/ familyhubs  Hungerford and Area Family Centre – https://bit.ly/2TtDi5H  The West Berkshire Commu- nity Support Hub – westberks- bct@westberks.gov.uk Call: (01635) 503579 www.west- berks.gov.uk/coronavirus- communityhub  Homestart West Berkshire – (01635) 760310 https://home- startwestberks.org.uk/contact-us/

RosWright,ownerofTheWoolhamptoSnhopi,ssupportintghedrive tosupporsttruglingfamilies

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Farris: Why I voted against free school meals motion NEWBURY MP Laura Farris voted against a motion to extend free school meals to low income families last week. The Labour Party motion calling for free meals to be extended over school holidays until next Easter was rejected by 322 votes to 261, a majority of 61. Five Conservative MPs voted against the Government. Manchester United and England forward Marcus Rashford has been leading the campaign to extend free school meals, and was a made an MBE for his work on the issue. Mrs Farris said she had supported Rashford's campaign in the summer, but voted with the Government last week for three reasons. She said: “The situation in October is different as all children in West Berkshire are now back in school and receiving normal lessons and – for those who are eligible – free school meals during term time. “Second, I have also been in close contact with council leaders about the issue. “They are in receipt of a substantial ‘Emer- gency Grant for Food and Essential Supplies’ as well as a Hardship Fund, both of which have been provided by central Government to meet the unique challenges arising from the pandemic.” Mrs Farris said that the funding had been allo- cated to support struggling families and would include more than food. She said that there were emergency funds avail- able for council tax relief, to help with utilities, and the provision of white goods, which came to more than the amount that would have been avail- able through free school meal vouchers. Mrs Farris said that the uplift to Universal Credit of £20 per week (£1,040 per year) had also influenced her decision. She said: “I accept that this is a small sum but it does at least help all struggling families with extra for their weekly food budget. “Child poverty is a really important issue to me.”

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