Atkison took to Facebook on Tuesday to announce that after donating over 54,000 lunches the service would be coming to an end on August 10.

A free lunch scheme devised to help tackle child poverty is set to end as its founding Christchurch chef says he is struggling financially and emotionally.

Chef Ben Atkinson started the Fill Their Lunchbox initiative - where healthy lunches were delivered to two children in need for every lunch purchased by a customer - in February 2015.

On Tuesday, Atkinson announced the service - which had donated more than 54,000 lunches since it started - would end on August 10.

"It's a sad announcement but at the same time we don't see it as a failure. It's a time for us to reflect on the many successes of fill their lunchbox," he said on Facebook.

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"To date we have donated over 54,000 lunches to Canterbury kids in needs. We've been able to give them the opportunity to learn on a equal playing field to other kids that typically get to eat well every day. We've given them a chance to understand that there's actually people out there that care about them and that hope they're doing OK."

Atkinson, who was named the city's first "braveheart" last year, said the last year had been "very, very difficult" both financially and emotionally.

"For those that work in the food industry or hospitality industry you will be aware that it's a very hard slog," he said.

"Some weeks I struggle to pay my rent, some weeks I don't eat very well. It means there's a lot of sacrifices from me personally. I'm 32 now, I'm looking towards my future, I need to look at putting myself in a better situation to do these things."

Atkinson said the organisation still had some assets, including a 40ft container kitchen.

He hoped to get a group of people who were emotionally invested in the scheme together to think of ways to create a positive impact on child poverty and continue their work in the alcohol and drug sector.

He said he would not be leading the next phase, but would sit on the board while looking for "normal employment".

Atkinson thanked all the people who had supported him financially and emotionally to get the initiative to where it is today.

"It's been a very long time to devote to a personal passion and a personal interest. I've put a lot into Fill Their Lunchbox, I quit my job and just jumped head first into doing a thing I had no idea how to run," he said.

"I've given my life to this project and am incredibly proud of the effort our team has put in over the past three years."

The scheme began in the kitchen of Joe's Garage Sumner, where Atkinson was working as a chef. For the first year Joe's Garage covered the cost of making 150-200 lunches per week for three schools in Christchurch's east:Aranui, Linwood Avenue and Te Waka Unua. .