A holiday hunger club has been expanded to support more people across the south of England following a partnership between a housing provider and local organisations.
Good Grub Club was set up in 2017 by Abri, one of the south’s largest housing providers, to tackle food inequality during the school holidays and combat social isolation. And it’s already helped hundreds of families with free meals, free activities, and sharing low-cost meals that taste great and provide the nutrition they need.
Abri has now partnered with local organisations to expand the club into more communities and support even more people.
“We know that the rising cost of living means more of our customers and communities are needing to visit foodbanks to feed their families. And it can be particularly hard for families during the school holidays when they no longer have access to free school meals.
“As a housing provider, we’re in a position to support our communities. That’s why we’ve partnered with six local organisations to run clubs in Millbrook, Mansbridge, Gosport, Portsmouth, Chard, Littlemoor, and Whitehill and Bordon. And we’re continuing to run the club in Salisbury too,” says Lucy Davis, Community Development Officer at Abri.
Abri has provided £56,000 from its Partnership Fund to the six organisations to run the Good Grub for the next 12 months. The clubs will be run in:
- Millbrook and Mansbridge, by City Catering Southampton.
- Gosport, by Gosport Community Hub.
- Littlemoor, by Top Club.
- Portsmouth, specifically the Charles Dickens Ward, by CM Foundation.
- Whitehill & Bordon, by Project 94.
- Chard, by Project Food.
After each school holiday, Abri will work with the local organisations to understand how the club is impacting customers and communities, and what other support might be needed.
“We want our customers and communities to know that we are here to support them, especially with the cost of living crisis. Our £15m five-year community investment strategy is focused on driving change where it’s needed most, and right now, that’s supporting with the rising cost of living. Our local Community Investment Plans provide us with a flexible response to emerging needs, allowing us to direct our services towards and develop projects that provide extra support. We will do this by talking and listening to our communities and partners about what is needed, designing and delivering projects together to strengthen community resilience,” adds Cita Jagot, Communities and Involvement Manager at Abri.