Free School Meals Summer Food Transition Scheme
Since the Covid-19 pandemic, Lancashire County Council has funded food vouchers for children entitled to Free School Meals during the school holidays. This funding has now come to an end.
Rossendale Borough Council understands that the sudden end of this voucher support may be difficult for families who have relied on it during the school holidays.
To help alleviate hardship during this transition, Rossendale Borough Council is working with local community food organisations to provide one off food support for eligible children during the summer holidays.
This is a one off summer holiday scheme. It is not a replacement for the previous holiday voucher scheme and it does not mean food support will be available in future school holidays.
This scheme is for children who are entitled to Free School Meals. It is separate from the main Crisis and Resilience Fund Crisis Payments.
What support is available
Eligible families can sign up to receive one food bag per child, per week, during the summer holidays.
Each food bag is intended to provide ingredients that can be used to make lunches for one child throughout the week.
Each bag is expected to include:
- 1 tin of tuna
- 1 pack of cheddar slices
- 1 loaf of bread
- 1 tin of baked beans
- 1 tin of spaghetti hoops
- 1 pack of instant pasta
- 1 pack of 6 apples
- 500g carrots
- 1 bottle of squash
- 1 pack of digestive biscuits
Items may vary slightly depending on availability and any declared dietary requirements.
Food bags will be collected from a local food organisation in Rossendale. Once you have signed up, we will contact you by email with further details, including where and when to collect your food support.
Who can sign up
You can sign up if:
- your child lives in Rossendale
- your child is entitled to Free School Meals
- you can collect the food support during the weeks you sign up for
This scheme is only for children who are entitled to Free School Meals.
Before you sign up
You will need to complete a short online form.
The form will ask for:
- your name and contact details
- your address and closest locality
- how many children you have in receipt of Free School Meals
- which school or schools they attend
- which weeks you would like support
- any dietary requirements we need to be aware of
You must provide an email address, as collection details will be sent by email. Please check your email regularly after submitting the form, including your junk/spam folder.
Please only sign up for the weeks where you can realistically collect the food support.
Although this support is free for eligible families, it does come at a cost to Rossendale Borough Council and our community food partners. If you do not collect your food support without a good reason, and without letting us know, this may affect whether further support can be provided in later weeks.
Sign up
Please complete the online sign up form:
FSM Summer Food Transition Scheme Form
Once we receive your form, we will contact you by email with further details about where and when to collect your food support.
Crisis Payments
The main Crisis and Resilience Fund Crisis Payments are not intended to replace the previous Free School Meals holiday vouchers.
Crisis Payments are short term support for residents who are facing an immediate crisis. They are considered separately and are based on individual circumstances, evidence of need and the funding available.
If your household is in urgent financial crisis, you may still be able to apply separately to the Crisis and Resilience Fund.
Questions
If you have any questions about the Free School Meals Summer Food Transition scheme, please contact crisisandresilience@rossendalebc.gov.uk
Funded by UK Government