On 27th July, local partners announced a unique collaboration to provide nutritious midday meals to hundreds of children in Cowley Hill, Borehamwood, who are at risk of going hungry during these school summer holidays due to coronavirus.
This project is a collaboration between Cllr Meenal Sachdev, local charity Gratitude, GMSP Foundation, Compassion London and Hertsmere Borough Council. It is created to supplement the diet and nutritional intake of those children eligible for Free School Meals vouchers over the summer break. Cowley Hill is consistently listed as one of the most deprived areas in the country. Now, distribution of the freshly-cooked, vegetarian meals has already started for 200 children in the area. And the team is already increasing their capacity to reach a target of 1,000 midday meals by the beginning of August. Meenal Sachdev, Hertsmere local Councillor, in a statement said,
“Partnership working is something I really believe in when it comes to finding solutions to the challenges we face in the world today. I am proud to be collaborating with our partners on this summer project to reach and serve our local people.”
The project will run for the six-week school summer holiday period (July 22 – September 1).
The meals are cooked by Compassion London at Alexandra Palace. Compassion London is an initiative founded by Leon Aarts as an immediate response to catering for those in need during the Covid-19 lockdown. It is run by a group of volunteer who have all come together to cook and deliver delicious, nutritious meals for those who need them the most. All meals offered as part of this project are vegetarian and freshly cooked. Sample meals include macaroni cheese; tofu with creamy mash and baked beans; pasta/vegetable bake; extra mild vegetable curry with rice; boiled egg salad with roasted sweet potato; bubble and squeak with baked beans; tomato cassoulet with rice; mild vegetarian chili; vegetable fried rice.
Whereas the project will be funded by GMSP Foundation. Founded by Ramesh and Pratibha Sachdev, GMSP is a family foundation supporting strong frontline organisations working to improve the lives of people in the UK and India. Since it launched in 2006, GMSP has focused a significant amount of its funding to end starvation and deaths related to hunger in both countries. In a statement, Ramesh and Pratibha Sachdev, Founders of GMSP Foundation said,
“For months, we have heard many heartening stories of communities across the country coming together to support each other during this pandemic. What we're doing in Borehamwood is one such story. GMSP is honoured to be a part of a team ensuring children in our local community don’t go hungry this summer.”
The ingredients and food are donated by the Felix Project and meals are distributed by Gratitude with the support of the local council.
