ALMOST 400 children in Newport have participated in an inaugural health campaign designed to tackle hunger and inactivity during the school summer holidays.

Four community centres across the city – Gaer Community Centre, the Pill Millennium Centre, Somerton’s Hope Centre and the Share Centre in Stow Hill – took part in Fit and Fed which is led by the StreetGames charity

A total of 792 meals were dispensed via the project to 396 children, which will continue based on its success in its first summer of operation.

Sally Holland, the children’s commissioner for Wales, visited the Gaer Community Network on Tuesday to speak to children first-hand about their views on the scheme.

“The scheme seemed to me to be very successful and I’ve heard that directly from the children themselves,” she said.

Ms Holland added that the six week school holiday gap be problematic for families in need.

“The six week holiday is a long gap for families that rely on schools for a safe place for their children to be and for childcare and of course for a healthy meal with the breakfast club and free school meals,” she said.

“This kind of service is essential as many families cannot afford to pay for play schemes and some families cannot even pay for healthy food, let alone the activities.

“Tackling child poverty is one of the biggest challenges – perhaps the biggest – that Wales is facing.

“If we can fix child poverty, then we will fix so many other issues.

“Volunteers have provided and made food for the children – even the butcher across the road brought over a tray of chickens for the children as they want a roast dinner.

“It would be a shock to many people that children in Wales are going without food and place to play, some which the volunteers and staff here see all too often.”

Fit and Fed is a nationwide campaign to improve the lives of disadvantaged children and youths at risk of holiday hunger, isolation, and inactivity.

It supports both the physical and social development of young people and has given a helping hand to those in need.

The scheme was trialled during the February and May half terms as well as the Easter holidays.

Bernard Marshall, the chairman of the Gaer Community Network, said: “The project has been really well attended – each day we’ve had around 30 children taking part and they’ve been waiting outside for the doors to open over the four weeks.

“Instead of wandering off after lunch, they have remained right until the end and are a little bit disappointed when it comes to an end.

“This scheme is something which I would like to see the Gaer Community Network carrying on with.

“It serves an additional purpose in that the children learn about the community centre and when they get older, they realise it is for the use of the community.”

Ben Adams, the lead for Communities First Fit and Fed said: “The children have had two meals per day – breakfast and lunch – and there has been an emphasis on healthy, nutritious good.

“The meals have been prepared by volunteers and people from the community.

“At the same time, the children have participated in different sporting activities and other entertainment such as music projects.

“We’ve had good engagement across the four sites. It has proved successful based on that and it is something we are looking to roll out further in the next school holidays.”

Joanne Lees, a volunteer who works at the centre during the academic year, said: “My two daughters have come along to the sessions in the Gaer.

“They have really enjoyed themselves and as they are quite sporty, working with the coaches has been good for them.

“This has helped the children taking part to see exercise as fun, which is important.”

Leigh Williams, the senior sport physical activity development officer for Newport Live, said: “Fit and Fed is an important campaign in Newport.

Our Newport Fit and Fed programme has been a great success so far. The kids are loving it and have a fantastic time meeting new friends, playing sports and getting a good meal at the same time.

“The Fit and Fed programme would not be possible without the donations from various partners, members of the public and local businesses, and we hope we can continue growing the programme to help more local families.”

To donate, visit justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/streetgames/fitandfed.