Milton Keynes Council has secured funding to provide healthy meals as part of their Summer of Play activities, and issue supermarket e-vouchers for children eligible for free school meals.
Councillor Zoe Nolan, Labour Progressive Alliance Cabinet Member for Children and Families, said: “I’m thrilled that the Progressive Alliance has been able to secure funding and provide free school meal vouchers over the summer holidays.”
“Together with the Summer of Play, we hope these vouchers will provide vulnerable families with a safety net, and allow children across Milton Keynes to enjoy their holidays.”
The vouchers were available at the start and will be again at the end of the holidays, when the Summer of Play is not running.
They will be a lifeline for families whose children would have normally only received free school meals in term time.
The Summer of Play has over 120,000 hours of free activities for children and young people in this month.
The majority of the 30,000 individual play and activity sessions will also provide healthy meals.
Councillor Jane Carr, Liberal Democrat Progressive Alliance Cabinet Member for Tackling Inequalities and Child Poverty, said: “The Progressive Alliance is doing everything it can to help struggling families in these difficult times, and these vouchers and meals will be a relief for many of them.”
The Summer of Play, which started this week, provides more than 27,000 individual play sessions across MK over the course of the month.
Families simply need to browse the online programme and contact providers directly to make a booking.
Most of the activities take place within 4-hour sessions and include nutritious, healthy meals unless stated on the programme.
READ MORE - 'Summer of Play' offering free activities to all Milton Keynes children officially begins
