A KITTY of £427,000 has been put up in Somerset to ensure no child goes hungry during lockdown.

The money will help schools provide meal options for vulnerable children and key workers' children in school during lockdown and for home-schooled children eligible for free school meals.

Individual schools can decide whether to provide food boxes, but the county council, which has allocated the cash, will work with them to ensure they meet or exceed Department for Education standards.

A County Hall spokesperson said the cash would "enhance the level of food provided and meet dietary requirements".

Ahead of the February half term, all Somerset schools have also been provided with funds from the Winter Covid Grant scheme for the 11,000 children in the county who receive free school meals, which can be used for vouchers or food.

Somerset County Council leader Cllr David Fothergill said: “It is imperative that no-one goes hungry in Somerset.

"The measures we have put in place to provide additional funding for schools mean that there is food support available for children who are eligible for free school meals, as well as other families who need some help during these challenging times.

"I’d like to thank all our schools who are working hard to allocate food, and all of our partners who are supporting the food resilience programme. It is very much a team effort to ensure there is enough food for everyone in Somerset."

The funding for schools is part of a wider network of support in the county during the pandemic which has ensured people have access to food, personal, financial and emotional support.

Somerset’s local authorities are working with organisations including foodbanks, FareShare, HIS Church, Somerset Community Council village agents and voluntary and community groups to provide food items and frozen meals for immediate use, as well as supporting the development of new community pantries and larders to help communities have longer term sustainable solutions in place.

Any family who needs food support can contact the Coronavirus Helpline on 0300 790 6275.

Earlier this month, there was shock in other parts of the country at the "woefully inadequate" food packages supplied for pupils during the schools shutdown.

Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford, who has pressured the Government for assurances that no child should go hungry, has recruited chefs Jamie Oliver, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Tom Kerridge to campaign for a permanent "fix" to the issue.