Northumberland welcomes U-turn on free school meals after Marcus Rashford campaign

File picture of a child enjoying a school meal

Northumberland councillors have welcomed the Government’s U-turn on continuing free school meals over the summer holidays.

A Covid summer school fund has been announced following a campaign by footballer Marcus Rashford, which included sharing his experience of growing up and relying on free school meals (FSM) and food banks.

During the lockdown, the Manchester United and England star has also raised about £20million to supply three million meals to vulnerable people through his work with charity FareShare UK.

While FSM provision was already arranged to continue through the summer in Scotland and Wales, it was going to end in England at the end of term and the Department for Education had previously said it would not reverse its decision.

However, it was announced today that children eligible for free school meals in term-time in England will now get a six-week voucher as part of a £120million scheme.

Coun Wayne Daley, the Conservative cabinet member for children’s services on Northumberland County Council, was among the members of his party who had joined the calls for a rethink.

He tweeted earlier: “I relied on free school meals (FSM) when I was at school. The Government has done amazing things to help during the Covid-19 crisis. I am joining many in my party and beyond in calling for funding to continue over the summer for FSM.

“I am not just using words I am already looking at how we can support local children. We run summer schemes. We need innovative plans including how we can run FSM and holiday use of schools & kitchens. Let’s sort learning & food loss.”

Responding to the announcement, he added: “The Government has done the right thing as I always believed they would. Thank you Marcus Rashford for showing how FSM support so many – including me as a child.”

The opposition Labour group were also backing the campaign, with deputy leader, Coun Scott Dickinson, saying: “Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, we know there are more children living in poverty in our county than ever before. Twenty per cent of children in Northumberland are living in poverty according to a recent analysis of data published by the Department of Work and Pensions.

“The pandemic has challenged families even further and parents will be struggling to put food on the table over the summer holidays.”

He welcomed the U-turn, adding that ‘it is critical that these families are supported’, but he also warned that consideration would be needed as to the accessibility of the scheme, particularly in areas like Northumberland.

“We hope that this scheme is rolled out quickly and that thought is given to access, especially in Northumberland where many families have struggled to reach the shops that the vouchers are eligible in,” he said.

“I have looked into this issue which has been raised with me and families often don’t have the cash to make it to those particular shops on the bus and you can’t use them online.

“Let’s hope the county council lobbies the Government about this and not just accept an inadequate scheme for the families of Northumberland.”

Group leader, Coun Susan Dungworth, tweeted: “This is a brilliant result, but a young man should not need to share his private, personal experiences to get this shameful government to do the right thing.”

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