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Wed, 11 Mar 2026

Wed, 11 Mar 2026 'Concern' as school holiday food vouchers end

A head teacher says he is "really concerned" about a decision to end school holiday food vouchers.
A new crisis fund will replace school holiday food vouchers in Somerset, with £1m allocated annually for emergency support including food. The change has been met with concern from head teacher Matt Vella, who believes it will disproportionately affect vulnerable pupils. Under the new scheme, families may receive cash, food parcels or be offered places at community clubs instead of automatic supermarket vouchers. Vella's school serves a deprived area where over 40% of pupils are eligible for free meals and rely on voucher support to access nutritious meals outside term time. He fears the change will exacerbate existing challenges faced by these families. Councillor Heather Shearer, lead member for children, defended the decision, stating that it allows for a more tailored approach to supporting struggling families. The new fund is part of the government's Crisis and Resilience fund, which has been allocated £21m over three years to local councils.