PARENTS are being given a helping hand if they use Healthy Start vouchers – the Co-op is adding £1 on to their value.
At the moment, each voucher is worth £4.25, but the Southern Co-op, which has branches in Wokingham’s Market Place and in Binfield, is promising to top them up as part of its commitment to tackling food poverty.
The vouchers are for families on lower incomes with children aged four and under, or pregnant women, and can be used for fresh, frozen or tinned fruit and vegetables, fresh, dried or tinned pulses, cow’s milk and certain infant formula.
READ MORE: Southern Co-op gives thanks for festive appeal support
Holly Bramble, Southern Co-op’s Community and Campaign Co-ordinator, said: “It breaks my heart to know that 4.28 million children in the UK were living in poverty last year, according to data published by the Department for Work and Pensions.
“Poverty and food inequality are issues that we have been working with our communities to tackle through food donations, our Feed a Family Fund, and other financial support. But while there are children still going hungry, then more needs to be done.”
Once families have received their vouchers, they simply need to present them at the till when buying any eligible food items at a Southern Co-op store and the value will automatically be topped up to £5.25.
Locations of eligible Co-operative Food stores, can be found at stores.thesouthernco-operative.co.uk/search.html.
