Cheshire East Council supports Crewe families with food hampers this Christmas

Schools across Crewe are set to brighten the festive season by distributing free healthy food hampers to families in need, thanks to an initiative by Cheshire East Council.

With the support of dedicated volunteers from local schools, over 2,000 food packages and activities have been delivered to educational settings across Crewe. This effort ensures families have access to both essential supplies during the holiday season and to a physical activity for the children to participate in. 

Earlier this week, two major distribution hubs were established to provide food hampers to families: one at Sir William Stanier High School and the other at the university campus in Crewe. Sir William Stanier High School focused on distributing hampers to schools within its trust, while the university campus hub served primary schools. Dedicated volunteers from the schools helped to unload tens of thousands of food items and then assembled into hampers to give out to families.  

In addition to the central distribution hubs, some schools independently organised the purchase and distribution of hampers and activity packs, ensuring families in their communities received support directly. 

The initiative is part of the delivery of the winter Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme which runs from December 20, 2024, to January 3, 2025. 

The HAF programme provided by Cheshire East Council and funded by the Department of Education, offers a variety of fun and educational sessions for children across the borough. These sessions, available to children aged 5 to 16, are mainly designed for those eligible for free school meals and include physical activities, arts and crafts, interactive experiences, and a nutritious meal for each participant.  

The programme aims to give children a happy and healthy holiday experience, helping them to: 

• be more active; 
• develop and learn;
• socialise, have fun and be happy;
• get a tasty nutritious meal;
• work together and stay safe. 

Councillor Carol Bulman, chair of Cheshire East Council’s children and families committee, said:

“Christmas can be a financially challenging time for many families, making these food packages a vital lifeline for those in need. I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to all the volunteers from the local schools who have helped deliver these packages and to Tesco and Co-op supermarkets who worked with us to process the huge volume of orders in a timely manner.   

“The HAF scheme does more than provide nutritious meals. It gives children the opportunity to stay active, learn, connect with peers, and make the most of their winter break. Feedback from past programmes shows just how much children value these experiences.” 

Claire Williamson, director of education at Cheshire East Council said:

“This has been a fantastic initiative to be part of. The ask of some of the schools in Crewe to come together and work with the local authority to deliver this year’s Winter HAF scheme has been tremendous. Some of the ideas that the schools have come up with for activities have been outstanding, and the hampers I know will make a huge difference for families struggling at a time of year when budgets may already be stretched. 

“I would personally like to thank everyone involved, including East Cheshire Association Primary Headteacher, the YES Trust, The Learning Partnership Trust and all individual schools who came together to make this happen”.     

To find out more and to book on to a session visit: 

https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/haf

For more help and advice on cost of living, including the household support fund and how to find out if your child is eligible for income related free school meals, visit: 

https://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/costofliving 

...or call:

0300 123 5012