CHURCHES in Scotland have stepped in to feed hungry children after schools stayed open to tackle “holiday hunger”.

St Columba’s Church of Scotland in Ayr, Liberton Kirk in Edinburgh and Penicuik North Kirk in Midlothian have established programmes to provide lunches for hundreds of children during the summer break.

READ MORE: One in three Scots 'favour Brexit deal wait before independence poll decision'

Church officials are calling on the Scottish Government to do more to tackle the problems of child and food poverty. A number of schools in Glasgow have stayed open this summer as part of the Food, Families, Futures programme to serve lunchtime meals to local children, parents and guardians.

One in five parents will skip a meal during the holidays so there will be enough food for their children.

The congregation from St Columba’s Church of Scotland in Ayr has said it established a food programme after local headteacher Sandra Campbell expressed fears many pupils would go hungry over the holidays.

The church learned that 95 per cent of children at Braehead Primary received a free breakfast or lunch, which would stop over the summer.

Lochside is one of the 40 poorest areas in Scotland, even though the parish as a whole is one of wealthiest in the country.

Dylan Harper, youth worker for St Columba’s, said: “Making sure those children get enough to eat presents a big financial challenge to their families over the summer.

“So we decided to pull together a food programme and we are feeding 153 children this summer.

“As a church we made the commitment that we are going to serve this community and we will do whatever it takes.”

Meanwhile, in Edinburgh, Liberton Kirk has also provided free meals for pupils over the school holidays by way of a pay-it-forward scheme in the church cafe.

Working with three local primary schools, the cafe issued vouchers to provide free meals to pupils over the holidays. Penicuik North Kirk in
Midlothian is continuing its “No kid goes hungry” lunch project with its own funds, after it was established with an NHS grant last year. The church is providing five lunches a week to 49 children which have been referred by the Council’s Children and Families Unit.

READ MORE: One in three Scots 'favour Brexit deal wait before independence poll decision'

Dr Alan Naylor, an elder who helps run the project, said: “More than 400 children in Penicuik get free school meals.

“We can’t feed them all but we are targeting the most vulnerable children.

“It’s going well and we are excited to do it, although we think it should not be necessary.”

They have 27 volunteers on rota, with four volunteers each week shopping for fresh food to prepare lunches which social workers then deliver to the kids.

Dr Johnstone said: “Many children and families are reliant on free school meals during term time.

“The First Minister has recently committed the Scottish Government to tackle child poverty.

READ MORE: One in three Scots 'favour Brexit deal wait before independence poll decision'

“Ending Holiday Hunger through, for example, the raising of Child Benefit as recommended in our report would demonstrate leadership and intent.”

A government spokeswoman said: “We will look seriously at all measures that have the potential to reduce child poverty.”