Young families in Southwark struggling with the cost of living crisis can get free vouchers used to buy fresh fruit and veg at independent market stalls and green grocers.
Alexandra Rose has distributed ‘Rose vouchers’ to children’s centres across the borough. Families with a child under five-years-old, and pregnant women, are eligible for the scheme.
The vouchers, which can be collected on a weekly basis, are worth between £4 and £6 per child, and you can buy baby formula as well as food.
Fatima Briscoe, a mother of four who has recently started using the service said: “It’s hard to ask somebody for help because I’m not used to that. I’ve never depended on benefits and have always had income coming in.
“But Alexandra Rose has been a blessing because now I don’t have to worry as much.”
Cost of Living Crisis: Walworth mum-of-four sold most treasured belongings to put food on the table
The vouchers can be redeemed at East Street Market, with three separate traders in Peckham, and now at the Borough Food Cooperative.
Eleanor Wilton, communications and project manager at the charity, said demand for the vouchers had gone up recently.
In April, grocery prices were 5.9 per cent higher than April last year, the biggest increase since December 2011, according to research company Kantar.
‘Healthy Start’, a government-backed scheme that provides young families with healthy food and milk has traditionally been an important provider of healthy food to struggling families.
But in March, the scheme switched from physical to paper vouchers. Many found their new digital cards were getting declined at the till and some people never received them at all.
Cost of Living Crisis: ‘A lifeline’ – Bermondsey sisters and mother praises Millwall food bank
Alexandra Rose, which has supported 2,454 children since its inception, is helping to plug the gap left by the ‘Healthy Start’ chaos.
Founded by Queen Alexandra, wife of Edward VII, in 1912, Alexandra Rose has been supporting families in poverty for 110 years.
To find out where you can collect Rose vouchers, and where they can be redeemed, visit: https://www.alexandrarose.org.uk/rose-vouchers/how-to-get-rose-vouchers/