VOLUNTEERS have started work on packing 60,000 free lunches for less fortunate school children during the summer holidays.

More than one in five school children in Bolton are eligible for free school meals due to low household income and during the summer holidays it can be difficult for their parents to feed their children.

Two years ago, a parliamentary report estimated that the loss of free school meals over the school holidays added £30 to £40 per week to household outgoings, and that more than 1 million children in the UK were at risk of going hungry.

The problem has since been exacerbated further by factors such the difficulties of finding money for extra childcare costs during the summer period.

For the past five years, charity Urban Outreach has been delivering its Bolton Lunches scheme — to provide free lunches to ensure children do not go hungry during the holidays.

Every day for the next six weeks, around 60 volunteers will meet at around 7am to pack lunches into brown paper bags. In each packed lunch is a bread roll with various fillings, a carton of fruit juice, a cereal bar, a pack of mini cheese biscuits and a piece of fruit.

The packs are then driven out to different distribution venues across the borough of Bolton, specifically targeting areas where there are high levels of families who claim free school meals.

Dave Bagley, CEO of Urban Outreach said: “On Monday, which was our first day, we packed 1,700 lunches. By the end of the week, when we’re in a rhythm, we’re hoping to be at 2,000 a day.

“It’s brilliant and it’s just an opportunity to put food in the hands of those children in Bolton who need it most. It takes a little bit of pressure off the families as well. "

As well as the food for the lunches, the vans used to deliver them to the distribution centres are also donated by local companies such as Seddons and Astley Bridge van hire company, U-Drive.

Stuart Lever, founder of U-Drive believes his donations to the cause have totalled almost £12,000 in the past four years.

He said: “When I was younger, I was the target audience. Me and my brother were brought up in a single parent family and we were both on free school meals.

“We always try and put back in and I donate around £10,000 to different causes over the course of a year

“When you donate a van, even though it’s a valuable donation, it does go a little under the radar. It’s like an invisible donation.”

Following the closure of one of last year’s distribution venues in Kearsley Children’s Centre, 80 children in Kearsley were set to miss out on the free lunches but in the true community spirit of the scheme, a solution was quickly found.

Zac’s Youth Bar worked with Urban Outreach and Churches on the Mount to offer Kearsley Mount Methodist Church as a distribution venue and provide volunteers.

Stephen Tonge, from Churches on the Mount said: “When Zac's asked us if Churches on the Mount would help deliver the Bolton Lunches project in Kearsley, my reply was ‘we can’t not do this’.

“The response has been amazing and uplifting.”

Since the scheme launched, it has grown year on year. In 2018, 52,044 lunches were delivered, up from 45,268 in 2017.

Mr Bagley expressed his gratitude to those who have helped to make the scheme such a success.

He added: “It’s absolutely great to see it grow, especially in the number of distribution sites because that means we have greater reach. That being said, we still have a task ahead of us if we want to get to a point where every child on free school meals can get a lunch.

“We have to thank loads of people including Seddons, U-Drive, Asda and Bolton Council. Chester Halo have also been generous enough to let us use the old Staples office outlet in Trinity Retail Park."

For more information on how to donate or volunteer, visit: www.urbanoutreach.co.uk.