In a report delivered to Hurunui District Council Tuesday 7 October, a growing need for lunchbox top-ups and nutritious meals was identified by Together Hurunui – part of Council’s Community Partnerships Team.
Two Food in Schools programmes covering 11 schools and two pre-schools across the Hurunui District, have been recipients of food support in the last 12 months. Snacks in Schools and Mainpower Pantry have provided food and snacks to more than 440 students and 45 vulnerable families collectively.
Natalie Paterson, a Community Development Facilitator at Hurunui District Council has run these programmes for two years and says “Teachers just grab what they need and pass it discretely on to students that may have come to school with little to no lunch. However, 11 schools is a lot to get around every term and we just don’t have the capacity to add more schools right now.”
Principal of Leithfield School, Rob Cavanagh has been incredibly supportive of the project remarking “We know some of our students come to school without enough to eat, for all sorts of reasons. Food in Schools is a practical way we can show manaakitanga and make sure no child goes hungry.”
As Chair of Together Hurunui, Mayor Marie Black has supported the Food in Schools project from the beginning, grateful for the relationship with Mainpower, who has generously funded these initiatives year on year.
Off the back of this programme Mayor Black says “The next steps are to consider how we can develop an action plan to collaborate with local growers, schools and services to build a more resilient local food system.”
The amazing work keeping the district’s children fed was not limited to Together Hurunui. The Hurunui Youth Programme has just finished an action-packed holiday programme. Youth Team Leader, Jo Sherwood, acknowledged these opportunities are thanks to the ongoing funding support of The Rāta Foundation.
Mayor Black remarked “This programme continues to grow from strength to strength. I often receive feedback from parents and grandparents who appreciate the range of activities and skills-based learning on offer.
The Community Partnerships Team at Hurunui District Council deliver an incredibly diverse range of programmes annually, including Welcoming Communities for migrants, Mayors Taskforce for Jobs and the creation of an Age Friendly plan for older residents. These initiatives remain a crucial part of the work Council has identified as important to the community.
Mayor Black also commented “Continuing to secure external funding is crucial to these programmes flourishing, and helping to shape and build confidence in our future leaders”.
Click below to read the full report from the Community Partnerships Team.
