Welsh Council preparing to launch new support programme for families who struggle with the cost of living in the summer holidays

Alec Doyle, Local democracy reporter

Flintshire County Council is preparing to launch a new support programme for families who struggle with the cost of living through the summer holidays later this year.

The authority – which is facing significant financial pressure – has since 2023 funded a ‘Holiday Hunger’ programme, providing money to help families who qualify for free school meals to get through the six-week summer break.

The council picked up the cost of the programme when Welsh Government – who first introduced it to address the cost of living crisis – pulled its funding.

Last summer, as part of a broader council cost reduction exercise, Flintshire’s Education, Youth and Culture Overview and Scrutiny Committee made the decision to phase out the scheme, a move which it homes will ultimately save the authority £462,000 a year.

It also decided that last summer would be the final time Holiday Hunger would be implemented.

Flintshire County Council is now seeking a partner to create and deliver a replacement programme starting this summer. The tender is due to be published this week and is worth £1 million over four years.

The goal is that the new provider will offer provide access to hot, nutritious meals through community hubs, provide affordable fresh food and meal solutions for rural communities and help residents, particularly in vulnerable households, transition away from supported food provision.

The successful bidder will also have to ensure that the food on offer is not ultra-processed, promotes a healthy balanced diet and is scalable. All this must be delivered in a way that eliminates all local authority expenditure by year five.

This year’s budget has already proposed a £62,000 reduction in the Holiday Hunger budget before the new scheme is in place.

Claire Homard, Flintshire’s Chief Officer for Education and Youth, said: “A budget of £462,000 was set aside for Flintshire County Council’s Holiday Hunger programme, following the withdrawal of Welsh Government funding.

“The Holiday Hunger Working Group have been looking at options to make this a more sustainable programme, assisting families facing food poverty in the longer term.

“This will become a commissioned service and the tender will be for £1m over a four-year period.

“The contract value will start at £400,000 in year one, allowing us to release a saving of £62,000 in 2026/27 and further savings of £100,000 will be released in each of the subsequent years, until the programme is able to run on a zero-cost basis.”

Some councillors remain cautious however, concerned that any delays may impact vulnerable families.

“We agreed in the Holiday Hunger working group that the amount this year probably needed be increased,” said Flintshire People’s Voice Cllr Carolyn Preece.

“So to take £62,000 out of the budget I don’t think is appropriate, especially with the poverty that is out there at the moment and I cannot agree to that.”

Labour Cllr David Healy was also wary that families living in poverty would not be left without support.

“I am troubled by the issue of reducing the budget for Holiday Hunger,” he said. “Maybe there’s been some feedback or explanation as to what the working group has come up as an alternative?

“I’m just wondering if we make the reduction is there provision for someone else to sponsor or support that to fill that gap?”

Last month Flintshire County Council held a pre-application meeting with businesses and community interest companies who had expressed an interest in applying for the tender. It is expected that the full tender will be published later this week.