UK Government makes U-turn and sets up £120m ‘Covid summer food fund’ after Marcus Rashford campaign

The UK government has said it will provide free school meal vouchers to the poorest families over the summer holidays in a significant U-turn, following mounting pressure led by Man United football star Marcus Rashford.

UK Govt U-turn over £120m ‘Covid summer food fund’ free meal vouchers

The UK government has announced that it will be providing £120m in free £15-a-week school meal vouchers throughout the summer holidays in a significant U-turn on their earlier stance, following mounting pressure led by footballer Marcus Rashford.

Government announce “Covid summer food fund” following growing pressure

Until Tuesday 6 June, government ministers had been adamant that the scheme, which has replaced school lunches for many disadvantaged children during partial closures, would end when schools break up in July.

However, following growing pressure from unions, campaigners, celebrities and even MPs from his own party, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s official spokesperson has announced the creation of a £120 million “Covid summer food fund”.

The Department for Education said families of children eligible for free school meals would be provided with a voucher “to cover the full six week summer holiday beginning next month, which schools will be able to order before the end of term”.

Vouchers will be provided via the existing system run by Edenred, which will run until “the end of the summer term”. Schools will be asked to put in orders for support over the summer holiday” before the start of the holidays, and guidance for schools “will follow shortly”.

The announcing came just hours before ministers were due to face a grilling on the issue in Parliament.

Calls for the extension of the voucher scheme started weeks ago, and come after ministers were forced to extend the programme to cover both the Easter and May half term holidays.

It follows concerns that the coronavirus pandemic has pushed many hard-up families further into poverty, meaning support over the summer holidays will be even more crucial.

On Monday night (5 June) first secretary of state Dominic Raab struggled to field questions about the government’s handling of the issue at the daily Downing Street press briefing.

Asked about support over the summer, Raab admitted it would be “difficult”, and referred to the DfE’s pilot of holiday food and activities, which only helps a tiny fraction of pupils across England, and is now in its third year.

Source: SchoolWeek.co.uk

Govt. U-turn follows a high-profile intervention from Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford

It began when Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford penned an emotional open letter about his experience of relying on free school meals. His letter propelled the issue back onto the national agenda, and prompted Labour to call an opposition day debate on the issue in Parliament this afternoon.

It read: “The government has taken a ‘whatever it takes’ approach to the economy – I’m asking you today to extend that same approach to protecting all vulnerable children across England.

“I encourage you to hear their pleas and find your humanity. Please reconsider the decision to cancel the food voucher scheme over the summer holiday period and guarantee the extension.

“This is England in 2020 and this is an issue that needs urgent assistance. Please, while the eyes of the nation are on you, make the U-turn and make protecting the lives of some of our most vulnerable a top priority.”

The Co-operative supermarket announced last week that it would provide its own £20 weekly vouchers to 6,000 pupils at 25 schools run by the Co-operative Academies Trust throughout summer.

Labour called an opposition day debate in the House of Commons that afternoon on the free school meals issue.

The party’s motion “calls on the government to continue to directly fund provision of free school meals, including the free school meal voucher scheme for eligible children over the summer holidays to stop children going hungry during this crisis”.

Source: SchoolsWeek.co.uk

Why is Rashford so keen to make sure children don’t go hungry during lockdown?

He’s doing it, he says, because he knows the feeling. During the pandemic, the Manchester United star has been thinking less about how it is affecting him now and more about how it would have affected him as a child. He remembers that his school meals were paid for by the state and that there was a stigma, one he did not understand, to being a free school meal kid. “I always said that if I was ever in a position to make a difference, then I would,” Rashford said in the New York Times. And boy oh boy has he been good to his word. Here is a list of some of the charitable activities the caring 22-year-old has been involved with:

• Helping the homeless

In October 2019, Rashford set up a Christmas campaign in order to support the biggest front-line services for young people experiencing homelessness. He linked up with Selfridges to launch the campaign — teaming up to help some of the city’s biggest homeless shelters – Barnabus, Centrepoint and Lifeshare.

The idea was for members of the public to prepare shoeboxes filled with essential items including gloves, sanitary products, hats, deodorant, thermals, toothpaste and torches. People could then drop them to various Selfridges branches to be passed on.

He personally delivered 300  boxes to Centrepoint, and the homeless organisation took to Instagram to write of his generosity saying: "We believe that sport has the power to positively transform young lives."

• Visiting Manchester bombing victims

After the horrific terrorist attack in 2017, rashford joined Man United teammates in visiting the wounded, most of whom were children. A total of 22 people killed with a further 120 injured after suicide bomber blew himself up at an Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena in May 2017. He also attended the One Love Manchester concert that raised £2million for those affected by the devastating circumstances.

• Players Together Initiative

Back when the UK was in the beginning of lockdown, Rashford took to Instgram to show his support for the Players Together initiative supporting NHS staff during one of their toughest periods dealing with COVID-19. He was among a myriad of Premier League footballers who donated in total of £4million to help the coronavirus efforts. The cause supported NHS Charities Together (NHSCT), an umbrella organisation that supports 250 separate NHS charities across the UK. The campaign was spearheaded by Rashford, Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson included Harry Kane, Harry Maguire, Virgil van Dijk, Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne.

• Teaming up with FareShare

FaresShare are a charity that aim at relieving food poverty and reducing food waste. Rashford teamed up with them in order to raise over £20 million to provide children across Manchester with food if they got free school meals whilst they were still in school. The initiative began in Greater Manchester but later expanded as part of a national initiative. 

• Helping vulnerable school children get free meals

Rashford wrote an open letter to MPs, urging the government to reverse its decision to not give free school meal vouchers to 1.3 million children who are eligible for it. The government initially refused to U-turn but Rashford’s persistence as well the support of MPs and other celebrities alike forced a change in policy. Sir Keir Starmer, Piers Morgan and Gary Lineker were also vocal in their support for the Man Utd and England star. 

Rashford does not want credit for his efforts trying to fill that gap. He is quick to offer praise to the supermarkets that have donated food, the “big companies” that have stepped up. “I didn’t make it happen,” he said. “I just gave them that extra push.”

Source: NewsGroup