The Brick is launching the Holiday Hardship Campaign to alleviate some of the short-term pressure placed upon families, across Wigan and Leigh, who may be facing financial hardship during the school summer holidays.
The Brick has several initiatives planned throughout the summer break and we are kicking off the campaign with a healthy food provision for families and free books for children.
A food poverty study by The Food Foundation revealed that the ability of low-income families to pay for healthy food is quickly diminishing resulting in more diet-related illness, and widening health inequalities and almost 4 million children in the UK live in households that would struggle to afford to buy enough fruit, vegetables, fish, and other healthy foods to meet official nutritional guidelines.
The Brick will be providing free children’s picnic lunch hampers from August 1st and the charity’s emergency food parcels will be supplemented with highly nutritious food items and snacks, fresh fruit, vegetables, eggs, and bread for the whole family.
Keely Dalfen, Finance and Commercial Director at The Brick said: “This summer our Holiday Hardship campaign is looking to provide a number of options, from healthy food provision, to access to simple activities such as sharing stories and nature walks. At The Brick, we believe passionately in the right to food and health before profits. Making healthy food affordable and accessible for everyone is our long-term goal.
“From the start of the school holidays, until school reconvenes in September, The Brick will be providing supplementary nutritious snacks, fruits, vegetables, eggs, bread in all our emergency food parcels and we will be providing free children’s picnic lunch bags from the Brick Works on Hodson Street, throughout August.
“The Brick Works is situated very close to the Leeds and Liverpool Canal, and this gives families the opportunity to pick up a picnic and to enjoy a nature walk along the canal. Our staff and volunteers will be on hand for directions and route ideas to make the most of a day out along the canal”
The challenge for low-income families during the school holidays is not just the issue of providing healthy food but also accessing affordable things to do together, as even simple activities such as sharing stories can incur an additional cost. So, this summer the Brick will be giving out free children’s books across all The Brick’s retail sites in Wigan and Leigh.
Harriet Foxon, Finance Manager at The Brick, said: “Here at the Brick we want all children to have the best start in life, and to enjoy a summer where they can relax, play and spend time with their families. But high costs, especially for childcare and activities, mean too many miss out on these experiences, as their parents face impossible situations to try and get through the summer months and to make ends meet.
“We are looking to tackle book poverty by giving every child the opportunity to own their own book. Every child can choose a book, donate a book, or swap a book. We want to make a tangible impact on every family that participates in our campaign, either through giving or through receiving.”
Free books will be available at the following locations for all children to take one book free of charge. The child can then keep the book or bring it back to swap for another.
The Bricks ‘Free Books for Kids’ campaign will be operating from August at:
- The Brick Works – 4 Hodson Street, Wigan WN3 4EN Mon – Fri 9.30 – 4.00pm
- The Brick Shop – 160 Gidlow Lane, Wigan WN6 7EA Mon – Sat 9.30 – 4.30pm
- The Brick Shop – 13 Railway Road, Leigh WN7 1AA Mon – Sat 9.30 – 4.30pm
If you would like to support The Brick’s Holiday Hardship campaign, you can donate at the Just Giving site here: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/holidayhardship2021
If you would like to donate healthy food to supplement The Brick’s emergency food parcels, you can drop off at various supermarket donation points across Wigan.
If you would like to donate books to The Brick’s free books for kids campaign you can visit any of the retail sites listed above.