£2.50 a day, or £17.50 a week, to spend on food, coffee, drinks and sustenance may seem infinitesimal, but unfortunately this is roughly what can be afforded on Universal Credit. This can then be exacerbated for families during the summer, when the saving grace of free school meals for children are no longer available.

I’m not exactly extravagant in my spending, but I’d put this as about a quarter of what I’d typically spend. The sheltered City lifestyle means I never have to worry about picking up a Pret or a pre-gym Itsu for the train home.

So I’m going to have a week of bulk-buying, budget stretching and belt-tightening to bring reality home. And this isn’t going to be fun - hunger is both physically and mentally horrible, with the body craving sustenance and the mind refusing to concentrate on anything other than the next meal until it receives it.

What’d be swell would be if you (and by the way - you look lovely today. Have you been working out? It's showing!) could throw a few pounds in instead of getting a starter at a meal, an unnecessary flat white or an exuberant Solero on a moderately warm day. I volunteer with FoodCycle and it’s a *very* good cause, providing three-course meals and companionship to those unable to afford it otherwise - all from food that otherwise would have gone to waste.

I’ll be documenting my week on Instagram so you can see how I’m affording it, and what it looks like to eat on the bread-line - hit me up at @the_hallissey.

I think that’s all covered - in short, donate some money because I’ll be hungry and you will help feed those most in need all over the UK. I'll be putting my money where my mouth is and putting in what I'd otherwise typically spend on food/snacks/meals out and the such for a week.

And here’s a kind word from the folks at FoodCycle for some extra intel on both them and the Holiday Hunger Challenge.

FoodCycle is a national charity, based upon the simple idea that food waste and food poverty should not co-exist and that something powerful can be achieved through eating together. Every week, we open our doors and give a warm welcome to 1200 guests to enjoy a tasty and nutritious three-course meal in their local community. In July 2018 we are running our Holiday Hunger Challenge to raise awareness of the summer holiday hunger that, sadly, many families experience. Head to our campaign page to donate or take part!