Warwickshire County Council Leader Cllr Izzi Seccombe has announced that the Warwickshire Local Welfare Scheme which has already provided over £450,000 of support to families through the Covid period, will continue to support the most vulnerable residents in Atherstone and the rest of the county.

The Local Welfare Scheme has been in place in Warwickshire for many years and it is through this scheme that children who rely on free school meals will continue to receive financial support through the school holidays.

The Warwickshire Local Welfare Scheme helps the most vulnerable residents at times of unavoidable crisis by providing basic and essential help. It is recognised within the scheme that some families who are struggling financially, and are eligible for free school meals, have difficulty covering the period when their children are at home during the school holidays.

This scheme is therefore an opportunity to reach and help those most in need by supporting eligible families with the cost of food for their children over the school holiday periods.

The scheme will benefit those children eligible for free school meals as well as their younger non-school age siblings aged two or above. This support will be available not just over this October half-term, but over all other school holidays.

Council leader Seccombe said "we do not want people in Warwickshire feeling anxious and we do not want children going hungry over school holidays. Our Local Welfare Scheme is there to support families and children, so this is what we will do. Our Warwickshire communities are really important to us and we are committed to supporting them."

The only eligibility criterion for this offer is that parents are registered for free school meals.

Families wanting to apply for support through the scheme should call 0800 4081448 or 01926 359182.