Coventry teachers 'fed poor pupils for two weeks'

[dutchman]

Teachers at a Coventry school had to step in to feed scores of children themselves because their parents couldn’t afford to make them a packed lunch.



The problem arose when a large number of parents in the school’s area – many from migrant families – had their benefits cancelled when their seasonal work had ended.

They were unaware they were entitled to other benefits, which would also qualify their children for free school meals, and had little money to live on.

The extent of their plight only came to light when their children returned to school.

The school eventually referred the families to the Citizens Advice Bureau which issued parents with vouchers for the Coventry Foodbank, a new charity which supports the poorest people in Coventry with free food parcels of donated groceries.

Within two days the charity was inundated with requests from 150 people with children at Frederick Bird Primary and volunteers worked around the clock to help.

Gavin Kibble, Coventry Foodbank manager, said: “When I took the call from the CAB warning us about the number of vouchers that they had issued, my initial reaction was one of shock. There are many superlatives that I could use: shock, amazement, disbelief.

“We had to stay open for an extra day and it completely depleted our stocks.”

He says earlier this week a family of 11 with children at the primary school benefitted from the scheme.

“They left with enough food to keep them going for at few days,” he said.

“I don’t know what would have happened if a charity such as ours didn’t exist.”

Ms Lockwood added: “Thankfully most of the families are now in receipt of benefits and the situation has now eased.”

The Telegraph reported last month how 1,500 people living in Coventry are currently classed as ‘‘destitute’’.