Major milestone reached by independent charity Hubb Foundation, which helps to provide happy, healthy school holidays for disadvantaged children.
Launched in 2018, the Hubb Foundation works with a range of partner organisations to provide free activities and food for children during school holidays. On August 28, the initiative passed an extraordinary milestone: the millionth meal provided under the scheme was served up at Co-Op Glebe Academy primary school in Fenton. Local MPs, Hubb Foundation staff and representatives of partner organisations were there to mark the occasion.
The Hubb Foundation commemorate their millionth school holiday meal at Co-op Glebe Academy in Fenton. Image courtesy of the Hubb Foundation
Founded by Carol Shanahan OBE, co-owner of Port Vale Football Club, the Hubb Foundation is involved in a range of initiatives. One key project is the local Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme, funded by the Department for Education and delivered on behalf of Stoke-on-Trent City Council. In Stoke-on-Trent, the charity provides more than 40,000 places for children over the Easter, Summer and Christmas school holidays, working with schools, community groups, providers and local businesses to provide the children with fun, memorable experiences.
Adam Yates, Chief Operating Officer at the Hubb Foundation, says: ‘In less than six years, we have served a million meals to children in Stoke-on-Trent and given them opportunities to take part in a range of activities that help make holiday memories special. It’s a remarkable achievement, delivered with a great deal of help from across the city including Stoke-on-Trent City Council, our trustees, the local community, and our business supporters. It shows what is achievable when partners work together to address a need.
‘The work we do is reflective of the scale of the problem we’re facing as a community. There are 15,288 children who are eligible for free school meals in the city and around £1,000 of direct funding helps us support 40 disadvantaged children engage in a free full day holiday session which involves sports, activities, enrichment opportunities and a nutritious meal.
‘Our focus now is to continue to work together to offer much needed help, building on the goodwill and support we receive from across the local community and businesses, so that we can expand the support we offer. It’s crucial that we continue to do so.’
Cllr Sarah Hill, Cabinet Member for Children’s Services at Stoke-on-Trent City Council, adds: ‘It’s fantastic to hear that the Hubb Foundation have distributed a million meals to families in the city. One of our core aims at the city council is to work with our partners to invest in early support services and make sure families are helped to give their children the best start in life. Around 250,000 of these meals were distributed thanks to the Hubb Foundation’s fantastic holiday provision which, in the summer, Easter and Christmas holidays, is funded thanks to our partnership with the Hubb Foundation to deliver the Holiday, Activities and Food (HAF) programme with funding from the Department for Education.’
You can find out more at the Hubb Foundation website or make a donation to support its work via the Hubb Foundation Just Giving page.
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