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

Local electricity distributor, Western Power Distribution (WPD) is inviting community groups and charities in Penarth to apply for a share of £500,000 available from its Community Matters Fund. 

The fund aims to support a wide range of activities and services that provide immediate support 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. 

Alison Sleightholm, director of Resources & External Affairs at WPD, 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." 

According to the Child Poverty Action group (CPAC), it's estimated that 3.9 million children were living in poverty in the UK in 2020-21 and there is a raised demand at food banks, often from families struggling to replace term-time free school meals. 

The application window is now open and will close on Tuesday, June 14. 

Click here for more information.