A NON-profit organisation has pledged to combat food poverty in Colchester and is launching a pilot scheme to feed hungry children for free.

Through its new Fuel for School initiative Q4 Collective hopes to help combat the 500,000 children across the UK who are going to school too hungry to learn effectively each day.

A pilot scheme for the initiative will be launched in the Berechurch area of Colchester on October 2.

Natalie Moloney, founder of Q4 Collective, will run the scheme in Colchester and is also hoping to launch the project in neighbouring Ipswich over the coming months.

She said: “As a Colchester resident, and working to support vulnerable people through Q4, I have witnessed an alarming increase in families living in poverty, both in our town and beyond.

“The fact that there are more than half a million children across the country missing out on breakfast simply because families can’t afford it is heart breaking.

“No child should face the day hungry and so we’re doing what we can to reach out to some of these families.”

Q4 Collective has teamed up with Colchester Foodbank to help run the Fuel for School initiative and it will initially run each Wednesday between 7.15am and 8.15am at Orchard Baptist Church, in Mersea Road.

Ms Moloney added: “If there is a call for it, and enough support from supermarkets and local businesses, we can run a few sessions a week.”

Q4 Collective was founded by mum-of-two Ms Moloney in 2016 and has supported families fleeing domestic violence across the country.

To find out more about the project visit q4collective.com.