If you are struggling to pay for necessities like food , we have put together a list of local support that is available here in Andover.
- Andover Foodbank are part of the nationwide network of foodbanks, supported by The Trussell Trust, working to combat poverty and hunger across the UK. Andover foodbank provides emergency food and support to local people in crisis working in partnership with local agencies and professional care workers. They rely on the people of Andover for donations, support and volunteers to help our community. You can get a food bank voucher from a front line professional, such as a doctor, social worker, adviser at Citizens Advice Bureau, police or your childs school.Read more here
- The RCS at Longmeadow , Crickets way , Andover. They run a community pantry which is open for everyone to use in Andover. They also provide emergency boxes for those that need them. Read more about the RCS here
- The YMCA, on Augusta park in Andover. The Community Cupboard was set up to support vulnerable families within our community in Andover. They are now collecting FareShare from our local Tesco stores, as well surplus donations from Coop .This means we are now able to provide a greater variety of products to local families as well as minimise food waste. Read more about what they offer here
This information will be updated regularly as we learn of new services and offers so it is worth returning here to see what is new. Please get in touch with us via our community contact here, if you have a service/offer to add.
Free school meal vouchers
The National Free School Meals Voucher scheme goes live ,Monday 18 January.
For parents and carers who want to know more about it, here’s an overview of how the scheme works.
- Every school has the option to use the national voucher scheme, but they also have the choice to put in place other arrangements. Your school will be able tell you how you will receive free school meal support.
- The scheme will provide free school meal vouchers to cover the four-week period between 18 January – 12 February.
- Schools will place the initial voucher orders on behalf of families between Monday and Wednesday. Your school will decide how often you receive your vouchers.
- Once the order has been placed, families will either receive an email with an eCode which you can redeem for a supermarket eGift card or receive printed eGift cards from the school, if they have chosen to distribute them that way.
Iceland are one of the stores accepting the Government school meal vouchers in store and they have some great kids lunch ideas each week. Here is this weeks ideas that they share
Jacket Potato & BeansHam & Cheese SandwichesJacket Potato & CheeseHam & Cheese Quesadillas
Plus snacks, desserts, fruit and drinks – all for just £15. Iceland in Andover can be found on Bridge street.
Meal ideas
Whether you are looking for healthy meals on a budget or are cooking for someone special, The Hampshire catering team, ( the team who cook for our children in school kitchens) have a range of recipes to choose from on their website. Those recipes can be found here
Make A Weekly Menu Plan
Once you know how to make a weekly menu plan, you’ll be amazed at how it eliminates stress, speeds up meal preparation, and saves you money. A weekly meal plan makes things predictable and hassle-free. Help on how to put together a meal plan can be found here
