Dorset Council make plans to feed children over Christmas holidays

28th October 2020

DORSET Council says it is working with local voluntary organisations to ensure no children go hungry during the half-term break.

It is also planning to make arrangements for the Christmas and New Year holiday.

The Council says it has been working with local volunteers, food banks and community groups throughout the COVID pandemic to ensure a network of support is in place for vulnerable people.

In Dorchester a charity which provided food for hard-pressed families during the school summer holidays is to extend the service to the Christmas break this year.

During the summer the newly established charity, Dorchester Family Support, working from Hardye's school, provided almost 190 families with canned goods, fresh fruit and veg' along with fresh meat to enable all the family to have one good meal a day.

Most of the families are from Dorchester itself, or surrounding villages.

Said one of the trustees, Kath Joslin: "Although we have no plans for the half-term, we will be putting together Christmas hampers for our families the week before Christmas again at Hardye's school.

"All the money for this enterprise comes from the local community. We are grateful to Dorchester Poverty Action, Dorchester Casterbridge Rotary, Poundbury Residents Association, the Town Council and all the churches in the town who have provided us with the financial wherewithal to do this. Hardye's School in particular has been extremely supportive of this work. Many individuals have also supported us along with Councillor Janet Hewitt who has helped with sourcing the monies needed for this work along with practical help and support."

Read the full story from Planet Radio here.