MORE than 20,000 children are expected to benefit from Glasgow’s holiday food programme this summer.

Around £1.6m has been allocated to 54 organisations to deliver summer holiday activities with meals.

The programme was started last year to ensure children who get free school meals do not go hungry and parents are not struggling with the cost of food when school is closed.

Ricky Bell, city treasurer, said in a report to councillors: “The Children’s Holiday Food Programme provides for a hot meal and snack to be made available to Glasgow’s nursery, primary and secondary pupils during school holiday periods.

“It is intended to complement existing activities by third sector organisations and for the majority of funds to go towards the provision of food.”

The budget for 2022/23 was set at £2,255,338 for the period Summer 2022 to Spring 2023.

Application for funding outstripped the available budget with 88 organisations across the city asking for £3,781,000 to deliver projects during the summer, October and February and spring holiday periods.

Most were for the summer with £2.4m asked for.

The council has granted cash to 54 for the summer.

Every one of the 23 council wards is covered by the allocations with wards with higher than average levels of deprivation seeing more projects being delivered.

Dennistoun has the highest number with 15 organisations, while East Centre had 14, and Shettleston, North East and Calton 13 each.

The areas with the fewest projects were Victoria Park with three and Partick East Kelvindale with two.

Cash allocations ranged from more than £100,000 for larger organisations delivering projects city-wide to under £1000 for smaller groups working in very localised areas.

The biggest amount was awarded to PEEK (Possibilities for Each and Every Kid), which will get £117,000.

Others include Well Fed Scotland (£106,500), Achieve More (£106,000), and New Gorbals Housing association (£100,000).

FARE will receive £92,000, Partick Thistle Charitable Trust will get £81,000, and Young People’s Futures will be handed £70,550.

At the other end, Geezabrek in the north-east of the city will get £1386, Ruchazie Parish Church will receive £886, and Children 1st Croftfoot Primary will be granted £883.

In total, 23,224 children are projected to benefit from the Summer 2022 recommended applications.

Coucnillors on the City Administration Committee are expected to approve the cash at a meeting on Thursday June 9.