Meals & More, the charity set up by Brakes, the UK’s leading foodservice wholesaler, to tackle holiday hunger, has seen an explosion in demand as families across the UK have been impacted by the effects of the COVID pandemic. In 2021, the charity provided its highest-ever number of meals to vulnerable children and their families, with around 750,000 meals provided.
Normally, Meals & More supports holiday clubs across the UK where vulnerable children can enjoy a nutritious meal and enriching activities, helping avoid the social isolation that often goes hand-in-hand with poverty. However, with the pandemic still prevalent, many clubs have been unable to operate fully and Meals & More has also stepped in to provide support for the provision of food parcels or packed meals direct to those families in most need.
Hugo Mahoney, CEO at Brakes, said: “Meals & More is a fundamental part of Brakes’ commitment to CSR. Since we launched in 2015, we’ve directly helped tens of thousands of children who would otherwise have faced an uncertain and hungry summer.
“The past couple of years has been incredibly hard for communities and we know that many families have struggled to put a decent meal on the table every day. I’m very pleased that Brakes support has meant that Meals & More has been able to maintain and grow its invaluable work.”
In 2021, Meals & More extended its reach to encompass more areas of social deprivation, forging partnerships with a number of new organisations, particularly in Scotland where it now operates across the country.
Kate Woodhouse, Chair of Trustees at Meals & More, said: “It’s been a record year for meals that we’ve supported, which sadly reflects the situation felt by many families, local communities and children across the UK.
“We are grateful for the continued support of Brakes and the many other food companies that enables us to undertake our work and help more and more children in need.”