Food for Children over Christmas

In a massive climb-down, the Government has announced a package of measures to spend more than £400m to support our poorest children and their families in England, following a campaign by footballer Marcus Rashford.

It includes a winter grant scheme, to be run by councils, that will provide support with food and bills, and a holiday food and activities programme is to be expanded.

This will improve the lives of over 7,500 of the poorest children living in Cheshire East who get free school meals during term time..

The move represents a huge U-turn by the government, that had for months insisted Universal Credit was the best way to help.

Previously, in light of the Government's failure to provide children with free school meals over the school holidays, the Labour-led Cheshire East Council had stepped-in to ensure that no child went hungry at half-term.

James Barber, Labour councillor for Broken Cross & Upton in Macclesfield, and the Cheshire East Council Champion for Young People said, “I have fully supported Marcus Rashford’s campaign and have set up a local Taskforce to look into the issue.’’

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Cheshire-East-Food-Poverty-Taskforce-103350974906147/    Twitter: @CEFoodPoverty

Cllr Steve Hogben, Labour councillor for Crewe South said “Yet again, a Government that throws many £millions in contracts without any competition during the Covid19 Pandemic to its friends and party funders has had to be reminded of our duty as a civilised society towards our poorest families.’’

Cllr Marilyn Houston Labour Councillor for Crewe West, said. ‘In what is one of the richest countries in the world. It unacceptable that any child should go hungry, and we are determined not to let that happen.’’