Lunch Club - Another great year...
School holidays are not just a break from the classroom, for many they are also a break from hot meals. Children who are eligible for free school meals during term time have no provision during the school holidays at a time when there are also extra costs for families in providing activities for children.
This is where Dorchester Lunch Club comes in. During the summer holiday our Lunch Kitchen provides free, healthy, cooked food for pupils who usually receive free school meals. We believe that every child deserves to eat a cooked meal every day.
Dorchester Lunch Club was set up by Dorchester Family Church in the summer of 2012 and over the last 3 years has operated from the canteen of the Thomas Hardye School by kind permission of Headteacher Mr Foley. We work together with schools in the Dorchester Area Schools Partnership (DASP) to ensure that the families that need it the most get invited. This year 29 children and 12 parents visited the Lunch Club and the team served a total of 469 meals! A team of 26 volunteers from the Dorchester churches and the local community made this possible, along with donations of money from Tesco, Waitrose, Dorchester Poverty Action Group, Dorchester Foodbank and other individuals.
But this is more than just serving lunch. It was great to see so many relationships formed between the team and Mums, Dads and the children. There was a big sense of fun and a spirit of togetherness.
Some of team were new to helping at the Lunch Club this year but have already told us that they are looking forward to next year. If you would like to find out more then please follow us on Twitter @Dorchlunchclub or Like us on Facebook.
