Words by Smiley Team
Food insecurity, especially among children, is becoming an increasingly prominent issue, with celebrities using their profiles to build support for those in need. One of the latest to join these efforts is actor Lady Frederick Winkleman, the daughter in law of Prince Michael of Kent.
Teaming up with Hello! Magazine, Winkleman has launched an appeal, calling on the public to aid those suffering from poverty, domestic abuse and malnutrition via the charity School-Home Support (SHS).
She told Hello!: "For thousands of children, school is their safe space - quite aside from being educated, they're warm, they get fed, they're not going to get hurt. For these children, this safe space has gone and that's why, quite aside from simply not being educated, they're now in danger. Many children might not recover from what they are going through at the moment.”
Launched in 1984, School-Home Support employs ex-teachers, social workers and others to break down barriers to education for poor and vulnerable children. They operate in 50 schools across the UK and last year, they helped 8,000 individuals access education.
But the pandemic has quadrupled demand for their services, with safeguarding referrals rising seven-fold since schools were closed, 40 per cent of which involved domestic abuse. So their need for resources and staff has rocketed.
If you are able to donate to their cause you can do so via their donations page. £15 can grant a child one month of internet access, £60 could pay for a family’s weekly shop and £100 could buy a new school uniform.
For more information about School-Home Support visit their website.
