The can be a tough time for families trying to foot the bill for childcare and days out .
For some it's a struggle just to fund the basics, especially when their children would have had a free school meal five days of the week.
But a Bolton charity is doing its bit to help cash-strapped families, by providing free lunches to those children who would usually benefit.
In fact Urban Outreach is dishing out almost 2,000 lunch bags a day to help pupils during the school holidays.
The former Staples site in Bolton's Trinity Retail Park is being used as the base for up to 60 volunteers a day - the first ones arriving from 5.30am to take delivery of the bread.
They then set to work making hundreds of sandwiches - tuna, ham and cheese - which are put in bags alongside a piece of fruit, a cereal bar, cheese biscuits and a drink.
It's become a massive project for the organisation and, now it its fifth year, it's the biggest it's ever been.
Lunch bags are delivered to more than 20 sites across the borough, mainly libraries and community centres where another 40 volunteers work on the scheme and where families can access other activities over the summer.
Chief executive Dave Bagley said: "It's available to any of the 8,500 children across Bolton who receive a free school meal.
"That's a static number here, it's not because of the times we're in, so we're stepping in to help those who would have received a free meal but aren't getting it during the holidays.
"Of course when you overlay that with families that might be struggling and it's maybe harder in the holidays, then it's probably a real boon to them."
He added: "Libraries don't always open five days a week now so to have them opening for this is also brilliant and will help children who are perhaps feeling bored. Plus we have activities and cookery programmes for them to get involved with at the other centres."
The scheme is made possible thanks to a £30k annual grant from Bolton Council and donations from the likes of Warburtons and Asda.
And there are lots of other companies who step in to help, including Bolton-based Seddon, which provides a van and delivery driver to distribute the lunch bags, as well as You Drive and Serious Law.
Dave added: "I know a lot of the kids have said they'd like jam butties and I'd love to do that for them - perhaps as something they could have for breakfast or a midmorning snack as that might also be in short supply if they usually go to breakfast club at school - but it's just the cost of it. We'd need more bread and more money.
"We can take large donations from businesses but it would have to be bulk deliveries rather than small donations, otherwise it's not practical. It would be nice to give the kids some sweets occasionally too."
Parents whose children qualify for the free lunch bags should have informed by their child's school and each site is promoting the scheme. They can turn up and collect the bags between 11am and noon - giving their child's postcode and age.
Donations to the Bolton Lunches scheme can be made online here . Or if you're a business with a bulk delivery of food to offer, you can call 01204 385848.
