Who are we?

Clapton Support and Advice (CSAA) was founded in 2017 as a response to a call for help from the local community. We provide support to the sick and disabled, the unemployed, single parents or those experiencing any sort of crisis. CSAA provides weekly food parcels to those too poor or sick to purchase food on their own. We also provide grants when there is a sudden emergency such as a medical issue or when a kitchen appliance breaks down etc. Our latest project is aimed at reducing hunger and boredom experienced by so many children during school holidays.

Up to 3 million children are at risk of going hungry over the school holidays.

Whilst school holidays should be a time of fun and excitement, for many children it is a time of hunger, boredom and loneliness.

For families whose children are eligible for free school meals, once school is out, this safety net is removed. Additional costs for activities and childcare can be a strain on families who are already working extra hard to provide the meals their kids would normally get at school. The effects on the children go beyond the holidays, with kids returning to school in September malnourished, tired and unable to learn.

To help combat the issue of holiday hunger, CSAA would like to launch our brand new project 'Happy Holidays' to help children from the London Boroughs of Hackney and Haringey by providing nutritious meals, snacks and activities during all of the school holidays.

What are the impacts of children going hungry during school holidays?

•  Children experiencing food insecurity are more likely to suffer from anxiety and stress
• Hunger in childhood has been linked to depression and suicidal episodes in teenagers
• A lack of adequate food puts children at risk of chronic illnesses like asthma and anaemia
• Hunger in childhood has an impact on behaviour with children exhibiting aggression, difficulties forming friendships and lack of achievement in school.

Hungry children need our help!

That is why we are crowdfunding!

Over the past few months we have seen a huge increase in requests for help with purchasing food and we can no longer stand aside whilst children go hungry during school holidays. The cost-of-living crisis is biting and it is the children from poor underprivileged backgrounds that are suffering the most during school holidays, when they no longer have access to free school meals. We feel a duty to set up this movement and feel a huge responsibility to make sure that no child should spend their school holidays hungry and bored. Our school holiday programme would offer a breakfast club and a cooked healthy dinner as well as fun and enriching activities.

We hope to support 280 children during all of the annual school holidays i.e six weeks in the summer and two weeks in the winter .

With your support, children would begin a new school term fulfilled, happy and enriched, rather than angry, malnourished and angry at the whole world!

What if we raise more than the target?

That would be incredible! We would be able to help even more hungry, lonely and bored children!