THERE will be £2 million worth of food vouchers distributed to families in need over the summer holidays, Bradford Council has announced.

The Council will distribute 13,000 supermarket food vouchers to eligible families to support them with the cost of feeding their children over summer, supporting more than 26,000 children.

Eligible families will be given a £75 food voucher per school-age child to cover the cost meals over the six week school holidays which begin at the end of this week.

It follows efforts by the Council to support families on free school meals to tackle holiday hunger at Easter and Christmas, triggered by the campaigning of England footballer Marcus Rashford MBE to ensure no child is left hungry due to their familiy's circumstances during holidays.

Rashford, plus overwhelming public support, forced Prime Minister Boris Johnson into an embarrassing U-turn last year after he initially refused to support families on free school meals during the holidays.

All eligible families will receive a letter from Bradford Council by July 26, and the vouchers can be used to food in a number of supermarkets.

Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, leader of Bradford Council, said: “We know that many families continue to struggle because of the pandemic and that the summer school holidays will put even more strain on their household finances.

“These vouchers will be a lifeline for the families that are most in need at this time and will help ensure that no schoolchild in Bradford District goes hungry this summer.

“We also have a range of free activities planned over the summer, including free holiday club places and free cultural and sporting events and activities through our Summer Unlocked programme.

“We hope this support will help children across the district have a happier and healthier summer after a very difficult school year.”

The scheme, which is costing the Council about £2 million, has come from the Government's Covid Local Support Grant, launched in December last year to support families struggling to afford the basics such as food and utilities.