Children going hungry in the summer holidays

JenniferEccles and wildswan16 did you actually bother to read the link I provided? I'm not actually some sort of ''lefty'' as you seem to believe in fact I'm very much against some of what goes on in the Labour Party today.
Food bank use isn't solely confined to those who are out of work, and yes, there are ''scroungers'' in this country who've never had a days work in their lives, but wouldn't you agree that it's very disturbing that people IN work are going to foodbanks and are having to forgo heat in their homes in order to feed their kids and vice versa?

wildswan16 you can despair of lifestyle choices and have any sort of investigations into the reasons you want, it doesn't make one bit of difference to the child's hunger. The reasons are so complex and individual they will probably never be fully understood. And the utopian dream that the welfare state would eventually lift everyone out of poverty has of course proved wrong. That doesn't mean the concept that it is essential to feed children properly is wrong. Feeding children properly enables them to acheive and hopefully to do better. It doesn't mean that there will never be poverty or poor parents again, and yes it probably will continue for evermore. It is a sad fact that our society is so structured that there will always be an underclass.

trisher, I am reasonably certain there is nobody who has commented on this thread who lack compassion for any child in need. However, that does not mean we cannot query how that child came to be in need.

I have worked all my life with the vulnerable and/or needy members of our country. Hopefully always with empathy and respect. That does not mean I have not despaired or been horrified by their life style or life choices.

Yes, children need to be fed, and yes of course we will pick up the pieces. But if we don't take note of the reasons behind it whether zero hour contracts, low pay, feckless parents, waste of money on takeaways/cigarettes/alcohol etc, it will continue for ever more.

Look, these are the facts - we live in a country with a very generous welfare state where those who genuinely are unable to work are helped, but this is only meant to be a temporary measure.

The rouble is of course the system is being massively abused by too many who are perfectly able to work, yet chose to sit on their backsides and claim benefits, and keep having more and more kids they can't afford.

We all know it goes on, unless of course you have allowed yourselves to be taken in by the idiotic claptrap spouted by those on the Left, who would have you believe that the 'wicked Tories' are letting hundreds of thousands of children go hungry.

It's nonsense, and I am particularly surprised that so many on here have fallen for it, especially as surely, most of us are old enough to have heard from our parents and grandparents about what REAL poverty was like back in the 20s and 30s.

I read recently that a smartphone is now seen as an essential item for the 'hard up' to have.

Honestly, you couldn't make it up!

Do some of the people on here who are passing judgement on foodbank users realise that many of these people aren't actually on out of work benefits but people who are actually working to make a living on very low wages?
Even nursing staff in the NHS are being forced to use foodbanks as their wages aren't worth diddley. Their rents have rocketed whilst they're still on the same pay. Do you think they should be using foodbanks? It's like being in a third world country under this governm,ent.
www.independent.co.uk/voices/nurse-strike-pay-nhs-crisis-why-i-voted-for-industrail-action-a7736896.html

What I wanted to say, Trisher but was just too angry so it would have come out very badly. Thankyou.

The absolute lack of compassion shown by some GNers astounds me. It is exactly the same as the Victorian attitude that there were 2 sorts of poor- the deserving and the undeserving and only the former should be helped. The undeserving, judged because of their lifestyles, could be left to starve. These are children we are talking about. There is substantial evidence that children who are underfed do not grow properly, have poor brain development, and difficulty learning in school. During the 6 week summer break all the good done by feeding a child during term time can be undone. The child returns to school in September poorly nourished and unable to adjust. It takes the Autumn term to feed them properly, by that time they are inevitably way behind their peers. It isn't their fault if their parents are feckless, or addicted to drugs, or have mental health problems, or are unable to care for them properly for some other reason. Even the Edwardians knew children needed to be fed. The first act allowing local councils to allocate money for free meals for children was passed in 1906. Over 100 years later we have people objecting to what should be a basic right of a child to be properly fed, and if the parents can't, or won't, do it, it becomes the responsibility of a caring society

It's good to hear that there are plenty of people like pensionpat who will pick up the slack of other mother's inability to cope, wanton or otherwise. I thank all of them for their unselfish and non-judgemental attitudes, except those who judge me and my ilk for not having the same opinions.

I have never had to use a food bank. I might well have needed to but I chose not to smoke, or own a car, or wear make-up, or drink alcohol, or have holidays. Because I chose to deny myself those things I was able to feed my children, look after our home and not be a burden on anyone else. We also still managed to have lots of fun.

There will always be those who are deserving of our help, who work in poorly paid jobs or who have just had a really bad time lately . There will, unfortunately, also be those who take advantage.

Sadly Paddyann the scheme you speak of is not country wide in Scotland.
I volunteer in a foodbank and I know it doesn’t work the way some on GN think it does. I wish they weren’t necessary at all ...

Children are going hungry, mainly due to feckless idle parents who don't consider it their function to provide meals for their children, and leave them to forage for food at home; evidence gained via Home/School links and SEN work with deprived children, also CAB experience.

Financial priorities now are large televisions and associated packages, mobile phones and social media. There is usually sufficient income to pay for food and rent, but not large media packages. Regrettably some families are adept at exploiting agencies such as the church, health centres and schools, and their children will be first in the queue for free food.

Dinner ladies are the people to identify the genuinely hungry children, those clearly not receiving a nutritious diet; the families they come from would surprise you as they are frequently not those with very low incomes.

Ask the people who actually see them eat.

Lilyflower are you saying you'd rather watch kids go without...that living how you did is a better way? Surely we've moved on from those times.Period poverty is a real problem for some schools ,where girls are missing days every month due to no money for sanitary products ,Children who are hungry dont learn...they dont concentrate the same if their tummies are rumbling with lack of food.
Lets all head back to the last century though ,to slum living ,to kids with rickets ,to mothers worn down in poverty .After all those were the good old days...right

You get phones, Sky and other luxuries on contract which if you don't pay when you fall on hard times, gives you more debt. You can't just opt out whilst the powers that be sort out your benefits so you may find yourself in abject poverty for a short period of time when the food band would be a life saver. That happened to my daughter's family when she was suddenly disabled and her husband had to stop work to look after their 18 month old daughter. It took nearly a year to sort out the benefits and we'd got to the end of our savings making sure they had enough to live on. Consequently, one week when they were really desperate they had to go to the Foodbank and they were mortified but very grateful. I've no doubt that some of the Grans would have been looking at their nice car, phones, Sky etc and making judgements but 5 years on, they are in an entirely different situation and still give food to food banks because they are so grateful for the help they gave.

Not quite the same but I hear there may now be 'fuel' banks, logs, in the offing to help those unable to afford their winter fuel bills. How will that help those in accommodation that doesn't have a chimney.

Not sure if last message was posted - I am not passing judgement on people who use food banks any more than some grans out there are passing judgement on me and others who disagree with subsidising people who could work but choose not to. I have worked hard all my life - have had many difficulties to cope with and few luxuries - I give to many charities where I definitely know my money goes to help but to give it to the social service system who seem unable to identify benefits cheats - no - I’m afraid not.

I am bemused by the 'starving' narrative. When my mother left my father and had two jobs to support my sister and I we had very little money in the house. We just about managed to buy food but we never went without. Though eligible for free school meals I was too proud ever to accept them and we also lived in privately rented cheap rooms rather than council provided accommodation.

Looking back, my mother smoked and drank and ran through a lot of household money this way. We could have had a better life had she chosen otherwise. With only one bra and no reliance on sanitary products being in the house my teenage years were fraught with embarrassing difficulties.

All in all we were very, very poor but we managed and had our pride and self respect intact. I was very much of the opinion that the way out of my dilemma was to work hard at school and better myself and my sister and I became teachers.

I have a horrible feeling that many attendee of food banks are not there from sudden changes in circumstances, mental health problems or other non-culpable states. I do not know for certain and wish I had better information.

However, given the emotive and virtue signalling outrage evident when any questions are put concerning the facts surrounding food banks I do not think I will be in any better position to know the truth for some time.

This obfuscation is probably harming food bank clients more than any group, a fact the virtue signalling outraged, should consider.

Self reliance, autonomy, independence and effort are probably the best ways out of any periods of want. Becoming dependent and having an attitude of victimhood (real or assumed) are probably the worst.

One of mine got a live-in job in a pub in between university and waiting to start her job. She really enjoyed it!

DS64till. As your daughter has still to leave college, and if she is old enough , has she not thought of a saturday or sunday job. Were she to work in a food superstore she would get a free meal ?I know my kids did and that was many many years ago unless things have changed.

GabriellaG I respect all comments but mine is right for me

I respect that too; however, showing children that there is a different way of living, people who care, could be a good step on the way to a better future for them.

When I was in a rush, I grabbed a packet of crisps with my lunch-on-the-go in M&S sarahellen, didn't eat them because I am not that keen on them - just offered them to DH but he checked the calories first - 208 cals in one small packet!

Why the obesity then and of concern that is on the increase in young children. Banning sweets at check out is not the answer having observed one small child in a push chair packet of crisps in its hands when the store (Tesco) are giving out free fresh fruit for children?.

Each of us is entitled to our opinion. And mine is that I am shocked to the core by some GNs arrogant, judgemental attitudes. Shame on you.

I agree it’s terrible. I’m actually going without a couple of meals a week to eke out our food and have a Daughter leaving college soon who hasn’t found a job yet which means our income will drop even further. I can understand how the number of people with Mental Health issues is rising as quite often find my stress is going through the roof trying to survive. Just wondering how others are coping? X

Jalima1108
I take your point, however, for as long as the rest of society picks up the slack, it will not encourage 'feckless' parents to be responsible.
'Parents' who have no notion of responsibility towards their children are not deserving of my assistance via foodbanks or summer holiday meals for kids. If their parent(s) are working, where is the money going and if they're not working, why are they not spending the benefits intended for the children ON the children?
I'm sure that no right thinking person would be comfortable feeding my hungry children after seeing that we had a cinema-screen sized tv and iphone, ipad, Sky and smoked 20 a day. Your hard earned money to do someone else's job.
I respect all comments but mine is right for me.

we need a like button ..Well said Jalima1108

I might add that many supermarkets now sell a compete school uniform for primary aged children, for a fiver...yes, £5. Primark sells out of school clothes at ridiculously low prices, even cheaper than some charity shops so there is, IMO, little to no excuse for not looking after your family within your means.