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Footballer Marcus Rashford has described being “overwhelmed with pride” at the progress of his campaign to fight child food poverty when ministers announced a £ 170 million winter scholarship scheme aimed at helping low-income families. fighting as a result of Covid-19.
Rashford said he had spoken to Boris Johnson after his Manchester United team played Everton on Saturday, and was informed of the latest plans. While he said that many of the campaign’s goals had yet to be met, he was proud and grateful for the positive steps taken.
“After today’s game, I had a good conversation with the Prime Minister to better understand the proposed plan, and I very much welcome the measures that have been taken to combat child food poverty in the UK,” said the English forward.
“There is still much more to do, and my immediate concern is the approximately 1.7 million children who miss out on free school meals, vacation allowances, and Healthy Start vouchers because their household income is not low enough. But the intention that the government has shown today is nothing but positive and they should be recognized for that. Steps taken today will improve the lives of nearly 1.7 million children in the UK over the next 12 months. “
Ministers had faced harsh criticism for refusing to extend free school meals to children from low-income families during mid-term vacations, as demanded by Rashford.
But the government now says it is providing better targeted support in a package that will cost more than four times what would have been required to finance free school meals for two weeks (£ 40 million). It allocates 170 million pounds sterling for the next four months to the most needy families, and the plan will run until the beginning of March.
In addition, the Christmas activities and food program will also expand in England next year.
Rashford added: “I don’t want any child to go through what I went through and for no father to experience what my mother experienced. Now I ask the government to collaborate with the child food poverty task force to ensure that no children do so.
“As a collective we are very powerful and we all have a role to play in this. Today, I am overwhelmed with pride that I have made such significant progress. We will not give up on our children. We will not give up the future of this country. “
