That the following proposals for Easter Holidays 2021 be approved:

(a)       that Torbay Council funds and issues food vouchers to the wider cohort of children identified as being in food poverty for the Easter holidays. Estimated cost £210,000 to be funded from COVID grants.  This cohort includes all children who may be in food poverty – over 7000 children;

(b)       that the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme works in partnership with Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) partners to issue food parcels, activity packs over Easter;

(c)       that the Council recognises that there will also be need to address half term and summer holiday food poverty and resolved that Torbay Council and partners work on a solution for half term and summer holidays to complement the Holiday Activities and Food Programme; and

(d)       that proposals for a Strategic Food Partnership and Food Action Plan for Torbay be brought to Cabinet as a matter of priority.  Those proposals would be that Torbay Council develops a strategic food partnership for Torbay, which would take a collaborative approach to create a more resilient local food system, which was good for people and planet and addresses the following issues;

             I.     tackling food poverty, diet-related ill-health and access to affordable healthy food – prioritising the immediate issue of school holidays.

            II.     supporting the creation of a vibrant, prosperous and diverse sustainable food economy.

           III.     tackling the climate and nature emergency through an end to food waste locally;

          IV.     building public awareness, active food citizenship and a local good food movement.