Council and charity chiefs have handed out thousands of free meals to disadvantaged children in Aberdeen.
In January, local authority bosses spoke of their ambition to provide 10,000 free dinners during the school holidays following a pilot project last year where meals were given to families most in need during the Easter and summer holidays in Torry, Woodside and Cummings Park.
But this year the scheme has been expanded to other areas of the city and also into the summer holidays.
Last night it emerged nearly 5,000 had been delivered this year in four schools around the city – Tullos, Seaton, Northfield and Riverbank primaries.
Lesely Dunbar, the council’s education vice convener, said: “We are committed to delivering the best start in life for our children and so I’m delighted to say that, by the time the project completes (today), we anticipate we will have delivered 4,922 children’s meals in four schools across the city during the summer school holidays.
“In addition we have provided snacks and packed meals to other summer projects across Aberdeen.”
Last year’s project delivered around 1,734 meals with the average cost per meal provided put at £3.66. This included the cost of food and cooking, cleaning and janitorial costs.
This year’s scheme has been costed at around £35,000.
The council has been working with partners on the project, including Community Food Initiative North East (CFINE).
A spokesman said: “We provided the food to the schools for the council to prepare.
“For some of these children it could be their only hot meal of the day.”
