SAN FRANCISCO, October 15, (THEWILL) – Marcus Rashford has launched an online petition that urges the UK Government to make her trusting commitments to support vulnerable children as part of the #endchildfoodpoverty campaign.
The Manchester United and England striker, who was added to the list of MBE awardees for his work in successfully lobbying the Government to reverse its decision to stop its free school meals policy during lockdown, has used the opportunity to call for Government support for three recommendations from their National Food Strategy.
The recommendations are:
1. Expansion of free school meals to every child from a household on Universal Credit or equivalent, reaching an additional 1.5m children aged between seven and 16.
2. Expansion of holiday provision (food and activities) to support all children on free school meals, reaching an additional 1.1m children.
3. Increasing the value of the Healthy Start vouchers to £4.25 per week (from £3.10) and expanding into all those on Universal Credit or equivalent, reaching an additional 290,000 pregnant women and children under the age of four.
Rashford, in a lengthy comment, said, “For too long this conversation has been delayed. Child food poverty in the UK is not a result of COVID-19. We must act with urgency to stabilise the households of our vulnerable children.
“In 2020, no child in the UK should be going to bed hungry, nor should they be sat in classrooms concerned about how their younger siblings are going to eat that day, or how they are going to access food come the holidays.
“The school holidays used to be a highlight of the year for children. Today, it is met with anxiety from those as young as seven years old.
“Many have said that education is the most effective means of combating poverty. I do not disagree with this statement, but education is only effective when children can engage in learning. Right now, a generation who have already been penalised during this pandemic with lack of access to educational resources are now back in school struggling to concentrate due to worry and the sound of their rumbling stomachs.
ALSO READ: Marcus Rashford To Be Awarded An Honorary Doctorate For Free School Meals Campaign
Whatever your feeling, opinion, or judgement, food poverty is never the child’s fault. Let’s protect our young. Let’s wrap arms around each other and stand together to say that this is unacceptable, that we are united in protecting our children.”
Data released by the Food Foundation has revealed that 18 per cent of 8-17 year olds (1.4m children) reported experiences of food insecurity over the summer holidays.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
