A SCHOOL in one of Glasgow’s most affluent areas has seen the number of emergency food parcels handed out to families double in the current lockdown.
A charity has put out a plea for donations for Hyndland Secondary in the city’s west end, saying demand had increased in the second lockdown with around 50 families now in need of help.
The Wheel Trust, a youth project based in the west end of the city, said another charity which had been assisting the school “was longer able to” and that it had used up an allocation of food vouchers.
READ MORE: Exasperated MP 'furious' over UK government's school lunch portions
The catchment area for Hyndland Secondary also takes in Broomhill, Thornwood and Whiteinch while pupils from other areas can also be admitted through a placing request.
A spokeswoman for Glasgow City Council said the demand for food parcels showed the pandemic was “affecting everyone in some way” while the Poverty Alliance said that despite the wide catchment area of Hyndland Secondary, it showed that more familieswere facing hardship.
The council has been praised by politicians after announcing that families who are eligible for free school meals would be paid £25 per child every two weeks during the current lockdown.
The UK government was urged to overhaul lockdown school meals provision by paediatricians, nutritionists and footballer turned campaigner Marcus Rashford after parents posted images on social media earlier this week showing the meagre contents of parcels, estimated to be worth little more than £5.
Another was made up of a white loaf, a pack of sliced cheese, two potatoes, two carrots, two bananas, two mini Soreen bars, two tubes of Frubes, a tin of beans, a small bag of pasta and three apples.
READ MORE: Edinburgh organisation distributes more than a quarter of a million meals during lockdown
Chartwells, the firm which supplied the parcel apologised and the education secretary said schools will be able to offer vouchers rather than food parcels from next week.
Peter Kelly, director of the Poverty Alliance, said: “The pandemic has put many people under additional pressure.
“We know that thousands have lost jobs, or seen their income cut due to furlough.
“At the same time expenses have increased, with people spending more on heating and food.
“Household budgets that were on a knife edge before the pandemic no longer add up, resulting in more families being pulled into poverty.
“Scottish Government and local authorities have put in place help for many people, but this isn’t reaching everyone who needs it. Many community groups are stepping in to help those in real need, showing the real concern and compassion that exists right across Scotland.
“As we come out of this crisis we need to create lasting solutions to poverty, solutions that build on this compassion. “It’s simply not right that anyone should have to rely on charitable food aid.
“We need to invest in our social security system, both in Scotland and in the UK, to keep people out of poverty.”
READ MORE: Poverty crisis as number of Scots claiming benefits doubles during pandemic
Carol Monaghan, SNP MP for Glasgow North West added: “Since the start of the pandemic, I have been inundated with correspondence from constituents who are falling through the gaps in support.
“Whilst many people have received furlough payments, freelancers and those who are newly self-employed, have not had a penny.
“I am pleased to see that Glasgow City Council will support recipients of free school meals with direct payments into parents’ bank accounts.
"This support is invaluable for families and is in direct contrast to the images we have seen this week of school meals in other parts of the UK.
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