HUNDREDS of under privileged pupils are being served lunch Monday to Friday by big-hearted Church of Scotland congregations in Ayrshire and the Lothians.  

St Columba’s Church of Scotland in Ayr is feeding 153 children this summer after a local head teacher expressed fears that pupils would go hungry during the school holidays. 

Dylan Harper, youth worker for St Columba’s, said the Lochside area of Ayr is among the 40 poorest areas of Scotland, even though the parish as a whole is one of the country’s wealthiest. 

“We had a conversation with a local head teacher about holiday hunger,” Mr Harper said. “And we learned that during the school term 95 percent of children at one primary school receive a free school breakfast and lunch. But during the summer that stops. So making sure those children get enough to eat presents a big financial challenge to their families over the summer. 

“St Columba’s is one of the wealthiest congregations in the country, but the Lochside estate is one of the poorest areas in the country. So we decided to pull together a food programme and we are feeding 153 children this summer. 

“They come between 12:45 to 1:15 and pick up a packed lunch every day from Monday to Friday.” 

“As a church we made the commitment that we are going to serve this community and we will do whatever it takes.”