• Local housing team volunteers at holiday lunch club

Local housing team volunteers at holiday lunch club

"I was more than happy to volunteer as it is always good to give back to the community, and it is great seeing the smiles on the children’s faces."

Housing Officer Bina Bharakhda

bina at the beaumont leys holiday lunch club 800

Housing Officers from social landlord emh homes have been volunteering at a holiday lunch club in the Beaumont Leys area of Leicester.

The scheme is funded by Leicester City Council to ensure local children can have a healthy lunch every day in the school holidays. Over 200 packed lunches are handed out to children attending projects, and another 100 to pop-in visitors.

The emh homes Housing Manager for the area, Jo Connolly, first saw details of the scheme last year on Facebook, and immediately contacted the organisers to offer her help. A couple of her team also volunteered.

“After seeing how much the local community appreciated the scheme,” said Jo, “I really wanted us to commit to it this year, and planned it so that at least one member of my team would be there for one day every week of the school holidays. As it turned out, they were far more enthusiastic that I had hoped and we were able to offer much more support.”

Housing Officer Bina Bharakhda added: “I was more than happy to volunteer. It is always good to give back to the community, and it is great seeing the smiles on the children’s faces.”

The scheme is organised by Katie Wray and run from the Church of Christ the King in Beaumont Leys, taking in several other locations across the city. It also offers childcare and over 200 free activities for children up to the age of five, including baby massage and cookery classes.

The scheme is supported by the nearby Tesco Extra, which provides fruit and other produce and staff volunteers three days a week.

Last year the scheme offered 6000 packed lunches, and this year the total number is anticipated to be far higher.