Perennial is
here to help people, and at this time of year we help lots of families
worried about the extra costs of childcare, holiday activities and food
over the school summer holidays.
As
schools prepare to close their doors for the long summer break, Perennial
can help parents and carers worried about the additional cost of the
school holidays. It costs families an average of £124.23 per week for full
time holiday childcare and many parents pay more than twice as much during
the holidays as they do for after-school clubs during term time.
Most working parents
are unable to take 13 weeks annual leave to look after children in holiday
periods, so must incur childcare costs instead.
Perennial can
support people working in all areas of the wider horticulture industry with
childcare costs, holiday activities and clubs, to allow people to continue
working, and help meet the costs of additional food required over the
summer break. The team can also help people access other sources of
support depending on their situation.
Julia Hayne,
Director of Services at Perennial, is keen to remind people about how
Perennial can help during these times. She says: “Every parent wants their
child to enjoy their summer break from school but for people working in
our industries, summer can be a busy season and it can be difficult to
take time off work to look after children during the day. We understand
that many parents and carers, despite careful budgeting, worry about
the rising costs of raising a family, especially in the school holidays.
We’re here to help alleviate some of the holiday stress with advice and
financial support for families with at least one parent working in
horticulture.”
For families
whose children are in receipt of free school meals, which are not provided
during the school holidays, the extra food costs associated with
the summer break can put additional strain on already stretched budgets.
Almost two-thirds of children experience hunger[1] during term
time but some families have to find an extra £30 a week in holidays.
Julia
continues: “It doesn’t take much to push a carefully planned monthly
budget over the edge. Many of the people we help are successfully managing
their money but we understand how extra meals, holiday childcare
and activities can cause additional stress and we’re here to help
with that. I’d like to encourage anyone who is worried about the
forthcoming school holiday to contact us to find out how we can support
them.”
If you, or someone
you know, works in horticulture and needs additional support over the
summer break, contact Perennial in confidence on 0800 093 8543,
email services@perennial.org.uk or
request support online at www.perennial.org.uk/holidayhelp
