Dozens of businesses from across Bristol have risen to the urgent challenge of raising at least £100,000 to prevent thousands of children in the city from going hungry during the school summer holidays.
Almost 50 organisations have pledged around £120,000 in funding in total to support the charity Feeding Bristol’s campaign to raise enough money to provide more than 50,000 meals for children and their families during the six-week schools holidays. 
Feeding Bristol is finalising outstanding funding pledges with organisations that have said they will support its ‘healthy holidays’ campaign and is confident of reaching its target.
Individual donations worth more than £1,250 from members of the public have also been made through the charity’s website since the campaign launched just weeks ago.
Feeding Bristol chairman Andy Street said: “We’ve been hugely impressed by the response since we asked Bristol’s businesses to step up and support our campaign to ensure that food is provided to children across the city.
“Although the actual amount raised is to be confirmed, thanks to everyone’s support we are making arrangements to ensure that food and activities are provided through an extensive network of projects across the city.”
Bristol has the highest number of children claiming free school meals in the South West, at almost 11,000, and among the country’s highest proportion at nearly 20%.
The funding enables Feeding Bristol to break down the barriers to food provision to children across the city through catering hubs, cooks and sourcing additional food through the charity FareShare South West.
This is helping Feeding Bristol to provide 50,000 meals through a network of activities and holiday clubs on all 30 weekdays of the summer holidays.
Andy Street added that while the response had been fantastic, it was not the end of the campaign.
“We have responded to a crisis, and still have a great deal to do to ensure that activities are provided and that the challenge is fully addressed,” he said.
“A successful city like Bristol should not be facing such a widespread and pressing issue like this in the 21st century. This campaign has showed that many businesses agree.
“We’re still looking for support and would urge people to back our campaign to ensure to support children’s health and wellbeing of children in the city.”
Anyone interested in contributing further to the cause can contact Feeding Bristol on info@feedingbristol.org or, to make a donation directly, visit https://feedingbritain.org/donations/donate-to-feeding-bristol/
