THE Ilkley Great Get Together is collaborating with Addingham based Kidfit to provide fruit and vegetables as part of the free school meal provision for families in Ilkley.

The initiative is currently supporting 120 children in Ilkley, making sure they have a nutritious meal every day. The fruit and vegetables are being kindly donated by Morrisons supermarket and volunteers attend Ilkley Grammar School every morning to pack the food ready for distribution.

Becky Malby, of The Ilkley Great Get Together said: “This is incredibly generous as we are doing this weekly through until half term when the funded Youth Association project takes over for the holidays.

“Also a huge thanks to the volunteers who turn up at 7.30am to pack the food. We pack in the school sports hall with just seven packing stations to keep everyone safe, and provide for IGS and primary schools. Currently we are supporting 120 children in Ilkley.”

Addingham based Kidfit is working across West Yorkshire, delivering a wide range of activities from after school clubs to, first aid courses, holiday camps and during the COVID-19 Lockdown and has provided over 1000 cooked meals and food parcels to vulnerable families.

Jonathan Stourton of Kidfit said: “Kidfit is currently providing fruit and vegetables to Ilkley Grammar on a weekly basis to feed 110 families with the support of Becky Malby and her team. Kidfit is also providing cooked hot meals to families from local primary schools to help with the weekend hunger scheme. We have been involved in providing meals from the start of summer 2020 and provided families with meals on Christmas day and New Year’s Day.”

Vee Hepworth, Director of Behaviour, Attendance and Outreach at IGS said: “As a school at the heart of the community, Ilkley Grammar is delighted to build on the success of the Christmas Hamper roll out and to continue to be part of this locally based initiative, working in partnership with Ilkley Great Get Together, Kidfit and Morrison’s, to support our families with weekly supplies of fresh fruit and vegetables. The school provides the accommodation for the packing of the fresh produce, which is organized by Becky Malby and her team of hardworking volunteers, and then co-ordinates the collection and distribution of the parcels to local primary schools and individual families.

“The feedback we have received has been fantastic.”

Carly Purnell, IGS Headteacher added: “This is a fantastic community initiative which we are proud to be able to support. It shows Ilkley Grammar School’s commitment to working in partnership and is line with our school vision of making a positive difference to students’ lives and to the lives of others. In these uncertain and challenging times, it is particularly important that we come together to work positively for the collective good and I am very grateful to the IGS staff, all of the volunteers and the companies involved for their commitment to go above and beyond to support the provision of fresh produce for local families.”