Kemp urges industry to do more to tackle child hunger
Dr Andrew Kemp MBE, group sales and marketing director at Bidfood and Arena board member, has urged the industry to get behind campaigns aiming to tackle child hunger
Dr Andrew Kemp MBE, group sales and marketing director at Bidfood and Arena board member, has urged the industry to get behind campaigns aiming to tackle child hunger.
Speaking at an Arena networking event, Kemp passionately discussed some of the key issues facing children today and encouraged the sector to lend their full support to organisations such as LACA and Springboard.
Kemp told the audience that 4m children in the UK live in households that cannot afford the fruit, vegetables and protein needed to sustain a balanced diet.
He argued that, while the introduction of free school meals, which Kemp lobbied for alongside Pat Fellows MBE, LACA, Prue Leith MBE and Jamie Oliver OBE has had a huge impact, ‘holiday hunger’ is still a major issue with 1.5m children going hungry every day in the school holidays.
Kemp, who was the keynote speaker at Arena’s long-running ‘Savoy Lecture’, shared his experiences of working in a sector in a career which has spanned more than 40 years.
The sell-out event also saw more than 200 high-profile attendees from across the contract catering, hotels, restaurants and wholesale spaces, listen to Kemp discuss the challenges and opportunities he has been presented with in an industry he entered almost four decades ago.
“It’s a natural evolution for any society to help people who are in need,” Kemp said about childhood hunger. “It’s not a political statement, it’s the reality. You cannot allow a body like LACA to be a lonely voice in society to help so many people. As an industry, we need to make sure we are doing all we can to help improve the lives of so many children who cannot be ignored.”
“I have enjoyed a fascinating career in this industry, with wonderful experiences and some hilarious moments along the way, as well as the opportunity to work with some inspiring individuals and organisations to make a difference on issues that really matter,” Kemp continues. “It was a real pleasure to share this journey with such a warm audience at Arena.”
“We are grateful to have been able to listen to Andy’s unique and incredibly inspiring story,” adds Lorraine Wood, director, Arena. “Not only did we hear some fantastic stories about his experiences, but we took a lot away about his take on modern leadership in an ever evolving industry.”
