I was furious last night that ALok Sharma and the majority of his Conservative colleagues voted against ensuring all our children are fed over half term.
It should not have been about politics, but basic humanity. But it does show why politics matters.
I would have voted to ensure every child who needed it in Reading and West Berkshire was fed.
We shouldn’t have to do this, but instead what we are seeing is local councils, businesses and community groups are stepping up. I’ve set up a fundraiser for the local food distribution project in Whitley, which you can donate to and meanwhile our Labour-run council in Reading will be stepping up to work with the community to provide support to families who need help accessing regular meals for children within the Borough during half term.
If you or someone you know is finding it difficult for whatever reason to provide regular meals for your children call the One Reading Community Hub on 0808 1894325 from Monday 26 October.
The One Reading Community Hub is a partnership between Reading Borough Council and voluntary sector partners in Reading. This includes a generous offer from the University of Reading to provide hot meals to children from Tuesday next week, with other options being available as most appropriate to circumstances. By directing people through the Hub the Council is able to assess the needs of each family and ensure the right level of support is provided, whether that is simply direct access to food wider support including information about welfare rights, benefits and childcare services.
If you want to donate to Whitley Community Development Association a link is here.
I call on West Berkshire Council to step up and ensure that their children are fed.
