Hope Family UK, via its Barking Foodbank Project provides an exciting opportunity for thirty children aged 8 to 14 to spend the summer holidays volunteering with the charity.  As well as engaging in fun activities, the children explore what it means to volunteer and why it is important to volunteer.  Each child is expected to put in 24 hours of volunteering in our foodbank and clothes bank and will be presented with a certificate upon completion.

Starting Tuesday 7th August to Friday 17th August for the first group of fifteen children and August 21st to August 31st for the second group of fifteen children, the scheme promises to be an immersive experience stimulating children to become lateral thinkers as well develop social, emotional and character building skills. By spending time outside their comfort zone, they get a chance to see new life perspectives, meet with other children and experience novel situations they might not otherwise get to see. The valuable skills they learn and use during the programme are acknowledged and reinforced on Rewards Friday.

Rewards Friday: On the Friday of each week, the children are nominated by their peers for exemplifying skills they have learnt during that week and will get a prize. Friday is also the day we take a break and go out touring various child-friendly installations, museums, galleries and parks in the city.

The Barking Foodbank Children and Young People Holiday Volunteering Scheme costs £25 per child per week for lunch and outings. However, funding may be available for children on a case by case basis.