Charities, local councils and community groups in Somerset can apply for grants of up to £2,500 to support families struggling to feed their children over the summer holidays.

It's estimated that there were 3.9 million children living in poverty in the UK in 2020-21*. An increasing number of children could be facing holiday hunger this summer as families struggle to make ends meet in the face of the rising cost of living. During the school holidays, there is a raised demand at food banks, often from families who need to find a way to replace term-time free school meals.

To help tackle this critical community issue, local electricity distributor Western Power Distribution (WPD) is inviting community groups and food banks in Shepton Mallet to apply for a share of £500,000 available from its Community Matters Fund, which supports local community initiatives and good causes. The application window is now open and will close on Tuesday, June 14.

The fund aims to support a wide range of activities and services that provide immediate intervention for families during the school holidays. This could include the distribution of food parcels as well as funding for holiday clubs that provide free meals. Projects that provide longer term support, such as cookery classes and budget management, will also be eligible.

WPD's Resources & External Affairs Director, Alison Sleightholm, said: "We sadly know that during the summer holiday period, some children go hungry because they miss their free school meals. We also understand that parents may struggle to meet increased care costs while they are at work and often skip meals to enable their children to eat. As a company committed to supporting our communities, we strongly believe that we have a pressing obligation to support our young people and their families and, where we can, tackle holiday hunger this summer."

For more information and to apply, please visit: www.westernpower.co.uk/community-matters-fund. Follow the fund on social media via #WPDCommunityFund