Millions of free meals are being given to struggling families across London this summer holiday, thanks to an emergency funding programme from the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, as stark

new figures expose the extent of the cost of living crisis on London families.

Thanks to support from City Hall, more than three million free meals have already been given to children and their families since April, and hundreds of thousands more Londoners will benefit over the summer holidays because of the Mayor’s free holiday meals funding.

The support comes as new figures show the struggles that families across the capital are facing from the cost of living crisis.

Latest polling from YouGov Plc shows:

-Half (49 per cent) of parents and carers with children under 18 said that they think will struggle to pay for their regular household shop for food and essential items in the next six months.

-One in three (34 per cent) say they are having to go without their basic needs, rely on debt to pay for them or are struggling to make ends meet.

-Around one in eight (13 per cent) are going without essentials.

Earlier this year, the Mayor stepped forward with an emergency funding package of more than £3.5m which will help provide around 10m free meals during school holidays and at weekends over 12 months to low-income Londoners struggling with the soaring cost of living over the next year.

The Mayor’s support is expanding the work of the Mayor’s Fund for London and The Felix Project and enabling charities and grassroots organisations to reach hundreds of thousands of struggling families. Sadiq’s investment means children of all ages and their families are able to receive free food through a variety of programmes at community hubs and centres across the capital during the school holidays this summer.

When the summer holidays finish, households all over London will continue to receive Mayoral support as primary schoolchildren at the capital’s state schools will benefit from free school meals for the academic year thanks to £135m of emergency funding.

The Mayor has repeatedly called on the Government to do more to tackle the spiralling cost of living and the corresponding challenge of children going hungry. This burgeoning scandal of child hunger is why the Mayor is ensuring councils have enough funding to provide food to those who are eligible for the Government’s holiday support, and why he is expanding the eligibility criteria as approximately half of children in food-insecure households in London are either not claiming or not eligible.

Before the summer holidays began, the Mayor also wrote to the Prime Minister calling for him to provide emergency funding to local authorities for activities for young people in greatest need in London this summer.

Today, Sadiq visited Coin Street Neighbourhood Centre, which helps families in Southwark and Lambeth, to meet some of those benefitting from his emergency free holiday meals funding.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “It is simply appalling that so many families are struggling to put food on the table due to the spiralling cost of living. That is why I’ve once again stepped in with emergency funding to help those most in need during the school holidays.

“I’m proud that we’ve provided more than three million meals so far and will be providing millions more to help hundreds of thousands of Londoners throughout the summer break.

“It cannot be right that in a city as prosperous as ours so many people are faced with impossible choices to try to feed their families. As Mayor, I will continue to do all I can to support Londoners and urge the Government to make full use of its powers to stop children going hungry, as we build a fairer city for all.”

Ian Tuckett, Coin Street Group Director, said: “Our holiday camps offer a range of activities for children during school holidays, and we are also able to provide a well-balanced meal and plenty of fresh fruit throughout the day. The school holidays can be challenging for families and we are committed to delivering a rich programme of health and wellbeing sessions including sports, creative and social activities. We are now also able to spend time preparing food, discussing healthy eating choices and encouraging children to enjoy making and sharing food. The Take & Make boxes have a great range of meals for children to take home to cook with their families providing life skills, nutrition and fun. We’re very grateful for the support of the Mayor’s Fund for London and The Felix Project in helping us to meet the diverse needs of children and families in Lambeth and Southwark.”

Rachel Ledwith, Head of Community, at The Felix Project said: “We understand the summer holidays present many challenges for families, particularly those on low incomes and those whose children usually receive free school meals. Around half the foodbanks we support say these six weeks will be their busiest period. Around one in three expect to see a 25 per cent increase in the numbers of families coming through their doors. That is why we are thrilled to be continuing our work with the Mayor of London and The Mayor’s Fund for London to help those struggling during these difficult times. We hope the meals and food will alleviate some of the stress so many families are feeling.”

Jim Minton, Chief Executive, Mayor’s Fund for London, said: “As London families navigate the cost of living crisis, many are simply not able to access nutritious food and essential support, especially during the holidays when schools are closed. Our partnership with the Mayor of London and The Felix Project enables us to support over 300 community organisations across the capital ranging from youth centres to sports clubs to adventure playgrounds. As well as providing free food, these locally-run hubs are offering a huge range of activities this summer, many co-designed and delivered by young people, including sport and exercise, life skills, cooking classes, help with wellbeing and education, and arts and crafts. We’re also supporting families with ready-made and cook-at-home meal kits so that families can enjoy preparing meals together through the holidays. In addition, families and young people are able to access guidance and resources – as well as signposting to wider support. The partnership provides a vital lifeline for many young Londoners during the school holidays, and we’ll continue to work together to ensure children and families get the support they need this summer and beyond.” Photo by Garry Knight, Wikimedia commons.