Food
Food banks can provide food and other support to local people in crisis. You can find a list of food banks and other food services on East Sussex 1Space:
Local food partnerships
Local food partnerships bring together emergency food providers, sustainable food businesses and schemes to tackle food waste:
- Lewes District Food Partnership
- Hastings and Rother Food Network
- Eastbourne Food Partnership
- Wealden Food Partnership
Huggg food vouchers for school holidays
All children (aged 2-19) who are eligible for free school meals or for early years funding for low-income households can get Huggg food vouchers for school holidays.
The amount depends on the length of the holiday, but it is at least £15 for half term and at least £30 for longer holidays.
For Christmas 2023, the vouchers that schools issue will be worth £50. Vouchers issued by early years providers and nurseries will be for £65. This is because they have combined the October half-term and Christmas vouchers.
Vouchers that have not been activated by 03 January 2024 will be cancelled. Parents and carers have at least a year to spend activated vouchers.
We don’t reduce the amount we offer each year. We make sure that we offer as much as we can based on the funding we receive from central government and the demand for help. This is part of the Household Support Fund.
How to get a Huggg voucher
The vouchers are issued before each holiday via schools, colleges and early years providers. If you think you are eligible but haven’t received a voucher, please contact your school, college or provider first.
If you have already received your voucher, but are unsure how to use it, you can find helpful guides on the Huggg website: How do I use my voucher?
Holiday Food and Fun clubs
A range of activities and food is available during school holidays at our holiday food and fun clubs. It’s free for children on benefit-related free school meals:
National food waste services
- Love food hate waste
Simple hacks, tips and guidance to make the most of your food at home. - Too Good To Go
Sign up to get food that would be thrown away by shops and restaurants at a reduced price.
Healthy Start
If you’re more than 10 weeks pregnant or have a child under 4, the Healthy Start scheme can help you buy healthy foods like milk or fruit and vegetables. You need to be claiming certain benefits to qualify.