Citizen's grant helps to feed needy children

W e are proud to award our fifth Citizen fund grant to a project that will help hungry children have hot and nourishing meals during school holidays.

The Milton Keynes Citizen partners with MK Community Foundation to hand out cash grants to different worthy causes every month.

This month £1,496 was handed to the Make Lunch project.

This will enable the project’s volunteers to take over a school kitchen during the May half term and provide free hot meals for dozens of needy children.

Make Lunch was the brainchild of St Mark’s Church, based in Central Milton Keynes. It focuses on families who are struggling to put food on the table through poverty or hardship.

“During term their children get free school meals, so at least that is something. But in the school holidays there can be a real hunger problem,” said St Mark’s vicar Paul Oxley.

Volunteers from the church launched the scheme successfully at Greenleys junior school last year.

Not only did they give the children their daily bread, but they whipped up mouthwatering pasta, pies – and even chocolate brownies.

“ We had 25 children come to tuck in every day. They bought their siblings too and their parents came for a cup of tea. It was just amazing,” said Paul.

“The children ate every scrap. It was their main meal of the day or, for some, the only meal of the day,” he said.

Some of the food used is donated by supermarkets and the MK Food Bank.

The St Mark’s crew’s dream is to roll out the scheme to schools in every deprived area of the city.