A scheme which provides food for children in low income families in East Sussex is set to reach more households after it was backed by £30,000 in donations received from across the world.

Barry Ashley, who owns the The Grumpy Cook cafe in Hastings, began offering food to schoolchildren over the summer holidays, paid for by donations.

Ashley now says that, because of the scheme's success, he wants to extend it to weekends outside of the school holidays, and expand to other parts of East Sussex.

An East Sussex County Council spokesperson said "support is available for any family in the county that needs it".

Ashley said the backing he has received from donors, who come from as far away as New York, was "crazy".

The scheme has also received support from other businesses in the local food industry.

"If people genuinely want to help then lets do it and get the word out," he said.

"If I can get more places doing it then it will help even more people around East Sussex."

Ashley said he received £10,000 in donations from a GoFundMe page in support of The Grumpy Cook, and £20,000 donated through his own website.

Donations have come from the local community, and as far afield as Australia and Manhattan, he said.

Yolandi Taylor-Banks, who runs the Dot Cafe in Peacehaven which is looking to help extend Ashley's scheme, said: "Barry has done an amazing job to support families on low income support, and we want to do the same.

"We just want everyone in our community to have access to a warm meal.

"Every small contribution makes a real difference to struggling families."

Discussions about food support comes after changes to government support earlier this year.

The government's Household Support Fund was replaced by a new Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) at the end of March.

In West Sussex, Kelvin Glen, chief executive of Horsham Matters which provides support from 15 food banks in the area, said they had seen 94% more children needing support this year, compared to previously when voucher support was available.

He said: "We do always see an increase in support needed during the summer holidays.

"The withdrawal of the support has put on an extra burden, which indirectly means we have had to prepare and unlock more funding.

"A number of families have come back to us because they are struggling without that support they used to get."

A West Sussex County Council spokesperson said it was "working in partnership with a wide range of community-based organisations" to deliver the new CRF objectives.

East Sussex County Council (ESCC) stopped providing summer holiday supermarket vouchers for families which would have received free school meals support, after the changes to the government scheme. It says this means eligible families no longer automatically receive food vouchers over the summer holidays.

The change has been criticised by Hastings and Rye MP Helena Dollimore, but council leader Andy Woolley said the new fund set up by the council "would provide support to households experiencing immediate financial hardship and to help build longer-term financial resilience, rather than providing universal holiday food vouchers to all families eligible for free school meals".

Council's across the country have set up similar schemes.

An ESCC spokesperson said £7.3 million will be spent over the next year supporting residents facing financial hardship including debt advice services, community food support, the expansion of holiday clubs with meals, and help for households with essentials like food and utilities.

A spokesperson for the Department for Work and Pensions said the CRF guidance "makes clear councils can use vouchers to support families with children on free school meals during the holidays and we have written to local authorities to confirm this".

It added: "Authorities have the discretion to design their own schemes, within the CRF guidance, to ensure the poorest children do not go hungry."

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