Almost 20,000 children took part in a Holiday Hunger project last year.

The Glasgow Children’s Holiday Food programme provided £1.4m funding to 78 groups across the city to run events over the school holidays that include children being given a meal.

A report to a council committee shows that more than 290,000 meals and snacks were given to 19,196 children at the events last year during holiday periods.

The programme started in 2018 with £2million allocated to the project to help tackle poverty and the particular problem of children going without during holidays where there are no free school meals and was expanded last year to allow more children to take part.

It was decided to allocate funds to community groups who already run activities to enable them to provide a meal as part of the day and for new groups to apply to set up activity schemes.

Last year the programme ran during the Spring, Summer and October holidays with a mixture of breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks provided.

The programme will run again this year during the half term holiday in February.

Allan Gow, Glasgow’s City Treasurer, said it was about more than food.

He said: “The Children’s Holiday Food Programme has gone from strength to strength and the number of people benefitting has increased.

“The start of the school holidays is an exciting time for many but it creates additional, unwanted pressure on people experiencing food poverty – which is why our holiday hunger programme is such an excellent initiative.

“It provides positive support to families and gives young people in the city a chance to socialise, build confidence and self-esteem, do more physical activity and learn new skills.

“We remain committed to tackling food poverty and look forward to working with third sector organisations to deliver this invaluable programme again this year.”

Planning has started for for the programme for the next school year, starting in April.

Third sector organisations were invited to submit applications by 6 December last year to deliver the programme during 2020/21 session.

It is expected recommendations will be made to the council next month.

Holiday hunger has been a growing concern in Glasgow and across Scotland with parents on low income struggling to pay to replace the meals children otherwise get free at school during term time.

In 2017 Scotland’s Children’s Commissioner Bruce Adamson said it was a human rights issue.

He said “The issue is not just about food.

“Holiday hunger and child poverty is a significant children’s rights issue in Scotland.

“A sustained, systematic and human rights-based approach at national and local level is needed to address and eradicate it. “

He added: “No child should be going hungry in the holidays. Children have a right to be free from hunger, food insecurity and malnutrition.”