Chip shops’ free meal for kids

Two South Holland fish and chip shops have been serving up free meals for children over the half term school holiday.

It’s the second time that Phoenix, in Little London, Spalding and Frydays in North Street, Crowland, have run the scheme after a similar initiative last summer thanks to a donation from Aphoenix Care.

The same company has donated £200 again to buy the stock and over half-term the company provided around 900 free meals. Frydays also fed staff and residents at Abbeygate Care Home.

The shops are owned by John Phoenix.

Little London shop manager Kayleigh Phoenix said: “It started last year when a young mum came up and told us she didn’t have enough money to pay the rent and feed her children, but she said her children couldn’t go hungry.

“As a mum myself, that really got me.

“We decided to find a way of providing £1 meals for children and then with the donation from Aphoenix we provided free meals in the summer holidays.

“Coun Rob Gibson’s been great with us too, and donated as we’ve kept the cheaper meals going.

“Aphoenix gave us the money again so we decided to do it again for this half term. It’s been really good. One woman told us their children might have had to go without food without it.

“It’s not healthy food but at least it’s a hot meal for a young person who otherwise might not get one out of school.”