In London, approximately 400,000 of the 700,000 children living in poverty go hungry during the school holidays unless an organisation or charity provides provisions.
In May 2018, Southwark Council, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS foundation Trust, Mercato Metropolitano and the Central Southwark Community Hub formed a partnership to pilot a programme that addresses the very real issue of “holiday hunger” across Southwark.
So far, MM has provided almost 400 free, nutritious meals and a total of over 1,000 hours of activities for local families through this programme, building new and inspiring change.
Parents and children said the cookery classes were informative, fun and educational, and that they learn new skills and felt more confident in preparing healthy meals and eating a healthy, balanced diet.