Free school meals vouchers, crucial for Isle of Wight families struggling with food bills during school holidays, will not be handed out over May half term, the Isle of Wight County Press has been told.

We have asked the Isle of Wight Council for a statement, after one school sent an email pointing families to the Isle of Wight's community pantries instead.

Although the Isle of Wight's first pantry opened in East Cowes around a month ago, a second community pantry is due to open on May 31, in Ventnor, and a third will not open in Ryde until June 9.

Half term for most Isle of Wight children starts on Monday, May 30 - just a few days away.

Run by Community Spirited, the East Cowes community pantry opened around a month ago and it already has 70 members.

What is a community pantry?

At community pantries, members pay £5 to get at least £15 in food and they can visit once a week.

The East Cowes pantry has received grant money and donations from supermarkets, but the team told the County Press it would need support longer term, to keep the shelves stocked.

Meanwhile, Isle of Wight Council's cabinet member for adult social care has has warned about the danger or relying on community pantries, arguing they do not solve the problem of poverty.

Cllr Karl Love said: "On the new Community Pantry initiative, some see this as a good thing. How can people having to turn to Food Pantries be a good thing I ask?  I did express concerns about it to our Cabinet and Senior Management team several weeks ago after the first pantry opened in East Cowes.

"We and Government must address the causes of poverty and what lies behind poverty. It's not that I don’t agree with what Food Pantries...I contest our government needs to do more to avoid the need for such services and work to eliminate poverty."

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