Families skipping meals during holidays - charity

Families are skipping meals to make ends meet during the school holidays, a charity has warned.

FareShare Sussex & Surrey says some parents are facing extra food costs as children cannot access free school meals over the summer break.

Dan Slatter, chief executive of the charity, told the BBC there was a "mountain of need. There's a growing number of people that are facing food insecurity or even more extreme hunger."

The government funds local authorities across England to run holiday activities and food camps, which are known as Club4 in Surrey.

These camps are only for children who receive benefit-related free school meals, Surrey County Council says on its website.

Steve, a senior warehouse manager at FareShare Sussex & Surrey, said he used a food bank when he was homeless with his daughter 11 years ago.

"All the benefits I was getting were going on fuel to get my daughter to and from school every day," he told the BBC.

"We were struggling.

"I didn't want to ask for help, but it got to the point where we weren't eating."

Steve added that people should not be afraid to ask for support.

"I know it can be a horrible thing asking, especially in the school holidays [when] money gets tight".

But he added: "Help is there".

The BBC has found increasing numbers of people are arriving at hospitals across the South East either malnourished or with nutrient deficiencies.

Hospital admissions related to those two conditions have doubled and nearly tripled in recent years.

Slatter says FareShare, which also aims to tackle waste by saving surplus food, is appealing for financial donations.

He estimated additional food costs for parents during the six-week holiday would be £200 per child.

"We are really keen for people to help us," Slatter continued.

"If you are able to give a pound, we're able to turn that into four meals."

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