SCHOOL kitchens are to keep cooking over the summer holidays to make sure pupils from struggling families are fed, a council has confirmed.

Fife Council’s out-of-school free lunch scheme caters for 9000 pupils throughout term time and served up another 7150 meals over the Easter holidays for children, young people, parents and families.

Now the drop-in Cafe Inc initiative is to be extended across the six-week summer break.

The move is in response to concerns about the growing poverty gap in the region. Almost one fifth of youngsters throughout Fife live in poverty, according to figures released earlier this year.

A paper for the Fife Partnership Board also revealed the inequality gap is widening, with the proportion of children in households earning less than 60% of the median income showing a year-on-year increase.

That publication also told how the level of local jobs paying less than the Living Wage was not rising at the same rate as Scotland as a whole.

And in March data collected by the Independent Food Aid Network and A Menu for Change showed nine independent food banks in the region had given out 25,795 three-day packs of emergency supplies over just 18 months.

Yesterday Councillor Judy Hamilton, convenor of the Community and Housing Services Committee, said the SNP-Labour administration had to help the families that are “stretched to the limit”. She said: “We provide free school meals during term time for over 9000 pupils across Fife. But we know that there’s a lot of pressure on all families during the school holidays. For some of those families to provide an extra meal at home for a child or a number of siblings creates a breaking point, where school holidays are dreaded.

“Hungry children, and the underlying causes of child-poverty, are well-documented – zero-hour contracts, benefit sanctions, homelessness, ill-health, Universal Credit . We want to do something for those children who need our support now.”

A year-long trial of the free meal scheme was initially held in the Lochgelly and Cowdenbeath areas at a cost of £400,000.

Hamilton, who serves the Kirkcaldy Central ward, said visits there proved “how vital this type of support can be to families”. She said: “I visited the scheme during the holidays and heard first-hand the real difference that it made to families.

“It’s a very sad fact that during school holidays many children in Fife go hungry. We don’t think this is acceptable for any of our children and as part of our drive towards a Fairer Fife we are fighting this head on. Cafe Inc is open to all, it gives children and families a chance to meet up with friends and enjoy a bite to eat in some good company. I’d urge anyone to come along and enjoy a family lunch with some friendly chat and fun this summer.”

A mix of hot meals and packed lunches will be available from schools and community facilities throughout the area

More details are available through council Facebook pages.