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Posted on July 7th 2021
Summer Support - Help for Families Over the Summer Holidays
Southwark Council has sent us the following list of sources of family help over the summer holiday, which we wanted to share with our parents and carers.
The Community Hub
The Community Hub is a first point of call if your family is in any kind of crisis. The Hub can help with emergency foodbank referrals. Call 020 7525 5000 and choose option 3 (lines are open 9am-5pm, Mon-Fri, with out of hours support). covidsupport@southwark.gov.uk Although set up initially to deal with help during lockdown, the Hub is for all sorts of support and your problem does not need to be connected to the Pandemic.
Southwark Emergency Support Scheme (SESS) and Hardship Fund
SESS can help you if you're a Southwark resident who is facing a crisis, emergency or disaster and needs help. The scheme will provide food vouchers, or help with your bills, rather than cash support.
If you're struggling to afford your household bills and food, Southwark Hardship Fund provides help for people in debt with household bills, such as gas, electricity and water, rent and Council Tax arrears. This help could mean you have more money left to buy food.
Summer of Food and Fun
The Summer of Food and Fun is running summer holiday programmes at over 30 centres in the borough for children up to age 16, including those with special educational needs. The programmes including free food, activities and “take and make” boxes for family cooking at home. www.southwark.gov.uk/foodandfun
The Southwark Food Action Alliance
See their website. SFAA is a collection of over 90 local organisations who all help with food – whether it’s foodbanks, tips on getting cheaper food, cookery skills and recipes and where to go for wider support. The site also includes:
A map to find your nearest growing projects
A map to find local food help As venues and projects can change frequently, do call or email before visiting.
Vouchers
Use vouchers to help put more healthy food on the table for your family for free.
Families and pregnant women in Southwark can benefit from two different kinds of vouchers. Used together they are worth over £8 per week per child. The Healthy Start vouchers are for low-income pregnant women and families with children age 0-4. Co-op, Iceland and Sainsburys are all topping up the voucher until the end of August by giving at least £1 of extra help for each voucher used. Full details of how these three chains will stretch the value of your voucher are here. Healthy Start vouchers can also be used at the Peckham Pantry – a low-cost supermarket where families will receive more for their vouchers than they would at a regular store, as well as at certain stalls in East Street market.
Rose Vouchers are for low-income pregnant women and families in the SE1, SE5, SE15 and SE17 areas. Children qualify from birth until they start at reception. Older siblings at primary school also qualify for the vouchers, as long as they have a younger sibling receiving the vouchers.
More affordable shopping at The Pantry
The Pantry is an affordable supermarket for those on low incomes. Members pay £4.50 each time they shop and in return receive around £15 of groceries.
Help the environment by using surplus food (Community Fridges and Olio)
Community Fridges are centres where food businesses and neighbours leave good food that they would otherwise throw out. Anyone can bring food to a fridge, anyone can take food away. No questions asked. Making use out of food that would otherwise end up in landfill is also a great way to help the planet! There are nearby fridges in Camberwell, Walworth, Borough, Brixton and Waterloo. Use this map for more information.
Sharing app Olio is a place where neighbours and food businesses can list good food within date that they do not want. You make a private arrangement to collect the food.
Get inspired with cheap, easy-to-make recipes
Cheap family recipes by footballer Marcus Rashford and Chef Tom Kerridge
Cooking videos, recipes and resources on our local SFAA website, with input from all over the world to suit our diverse borough.
Parents - contact a school nurse
If you need advice or support regarding your child, you can confidentially text a school nurse on 07520 631 130. Texts will only be seen Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm (excluding bank holidays). Click HERE to find out more
ChatHealth - for young people aged 11-19
ChatHealth is a text messaging service for young people to receive confidential advice about health related issues. It's for young people attending school or living in Lambeth and Southwark aged 11-19 years. The ChatHealth number is 07507 332150. Find out more information by visiting https://www.evelinalondon.nhs.uk/chathealth
