Salvation Army feeds 300 Oldham children over holidays

The Salvation Army in Oldham Fitton Hill, Greater Manchester, located at The Brew on Fir Tree Lane, fed children over the school holidays by offering access to a holiday club, targeted at the most vulnerable.

The holiday club ran for four days a week over four weeks, from 10am to 2pm.

The club saw 300 school-aged children sign up for the support, which included breakfast and a hot lunch served daily.

Activities also took place as part of the club, including sports and crafts. 

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Kim Rogers, community manager at The Salvation Army Oldham Fitton Hill said: “The cost-of-living crisis is still very real to a lot of families within our community, hitting low-income families hard.

“Many are struggling, finding themselves in challenging situations, deciding whether to spend what little money they have on activities and food for their children or on growing household bills.

“We felt compelled to offer something that not only provides fun to children but an activity that gives support to families too.”

Special weeks, such as sports week and nature week, saw children take part in a variety of activities, including dance and football classes, as well as making bird feeders and bug hotels.

Breakfast was offered to all children attending and a hot meal was provided, with a different menu on offer each day. 

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Kim added: “Some children come to us without having had any breakfast. For some families, breakfast items just aren’t in the house, and for other children, the only hot meals they get are when they are in school.

“Holiday hunger and food poverty are very real and so we know the importance of offering healthy, nutritious and hot food to the children who attend these sessions as well as snacks and a substantial breakfast. 

“During the holiday club, we’ve seen children make new friends, open themselves up to opportunities they wouldn’t otherwise have had and enjoy a hot and healthy meal.

“We hope that this offering has solidified our commitment to the Oldham community and how we do all we can to make life that little bit easier for the families who need it most.”

The Salvation Army applied for a grant from the Holiday Activities and Food fund, through Oldham Council, to cover costs and provided church volunteers to run the club safely and efficiently.

Holiday Club at The Salvation Army in Oldham Fitton Hill supported more than 300 children over four weeks (Image: Salvation Army)

Donations can be made to the church’s JustGiving page.

A condition of being awarded the funding was that 80 per cent of the places had to be filled by children qualifying for free school meals.

The Salvation Army said it worked closely and in partnership with local schools and its current clients to make sure the most vulnerable families benefited from the provision. 

The group added that it used its own funds to be able to open up the age range to accommodate younger children, so families didn’t need to choose which child would benefit from the group.