Big story: Hungry for change
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11th December 2020
When in November Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford forced a government U-turn with his campaign for disadvantaged children to be provided with free meals over the school holidays, it was hailed as a major victory in the battle against poverty. Among those celebrating were independent retailers who stepped in with free meals for schoolchildren over the October half-term after MPs initially voted against extending the school meal vouchers scheme.
Struggling families
But millions of youngsters in Britain still face the possibility of going hungry and require continued help from independent grocery stores this Christmas, says the Food Foundation, a charity that has been working with the England international in his quest for no child to go hungry. The organisation is calling on convenience retailers to contact their local authority to see how best they can continue to support the rising need to help thousands of struggling families many of who do not meet the criteria to receive free school meals. Its head of communications, Jo Ralling, says that while the climbdown from prime minister Boris Johnson is a “massive win” in the fight against child food poverty, the government has not put enough in place to solve the problem for this winter and beyond.