Boris Johnson has refused to extend free school meals over half term for 1.4 million children despite mounting pressure from local councils, vulnerable parents and 2,200 paediatricians who are urging the Government to reverse its decision. Prime Minister believes he is supporting families through extra money for universal credit and additional funding for councils. But the Tory government has faced increased criticism for its failure to prevent children from starvation as parents particularly from ethnic minority backgrounds struggle to stay afloat especially in the North of England.
Dr Leena Karnik is a mother of two and a Paediatric Haematologist. She is one of the 2,200 signatories of the open letter from the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health urging the Government to provide food vouchers to cover school holidays for children from low-income backgrounds.
Mother and Paediatrician “shocked” at the government’s refusal
The letter notes, “As paediatricians we are shocked by the refusal of the UK Government to extend the provision of free school meals in England to children from low-income backgrounds during the school holidays.
“Every day, we see the impact of hunger and malnutrition in our work as paediatricians. It is not unusual for us to care for children who don’t have enough to eat or who don’t have access to a substantial meal outside of what is provided in school. Good nutrition is at the heart of health, wellbeing and development for children and young people. Without it, children’s health outcomes worsen, and with that, so do their life chances.”
Official reports highlight that 2.4 million children are living in absolute poverty and 2.5 million children live in food-insecure households. The Department of Education (DofE) estimates that children from minority backgrounds are in disproportionately higher need for food vouchers including 25% Bangladeshi pupils, about 20% Pakistani pupils and merely 10% Indian pupils. DofE notes that the greatest representation of 25% children are from the North East, about 20% from the West Midlands and 20% from London in need of these free meal vouchers.
Councillor from Chancellor’s constituency slams Government
The Chancellor has been banned from a Yorkshire pub following his vote against the extension of free school meal vouchers. Now, Liberal Democrats Councillor from Richmond, Rishi Sunak’s constituency has set aside funds for the community.
In a statement Councillor Gareth Roberts, Leader of Richmond Council said, "Hard-pressed local councils have already suffered millions of pounds in cuts but we will always do the right thing when it comes to vulnerable children and their families. I am pleased that we can set aside funding here in Richmond. We will protect those who are struggling and in need of help through no fault of their own".
Manchester restaurant distributes 300 packed lunches
In the meantime, even as the hospitality industry recuperates from Tier 3 lockdown restrictions in Manchester, restaurants such as Royal Nawaab Manchester have made it their mission to uplift the doubly disadvantaged Asian community.
Announcing their partnership with The Launch Project, the restaurant said, “In light of the government refusing to provide free school hot meals to struggling families throughout half term, we have decided to offer 300 hot meals at lunchtime for children under the age of 16-year-olds who would benefit from it. We have partnered with The Launch Project who will be delivering the meals to the most needed in Greater Manchester”.
The restaurant’s London branch has made a similar announcement with plans of distributing 300 packed lunches in Ealing. The DofE has also noted that the highest proportion of students eligible for free school meals in England are from Asian dominated boroughs including Tower Hamlets, Blackpool, Islington and Hackney. Red Cup Café, a café in North Harrow has also joined footballer Marcus Rashford in his campaign to eliminate food poverty in the UK.
Parents of a 4-year-old daughter determined not to let other children starve
Owned by Reena and Henal Chotai, Red Cup Cafe has been greatly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Inspired by their 4-year-old daughter and supported by Aarti and Aman Sawhney of New Vision Opticians, the couple is now providing 40 packed lunches every day to all those children in need.
Reena said, “We have an almost 4-year-old daughter and our café had suffered greatly owing to coronavirus. What if we weren't able to provide our daughter with a healthy, nutritious meal, and that anxiety spurred us on. We felt that no child should ever go hungry, regardless of circumstances, especially in our country.
Some provisions should have been made to extend the free school meals for this half term period, especially since most of the country is in Tier 2 or 3 lockdown. So, this can mean delays in payments of Universal Credits or more job losses.”
Their menu includes cheese salad wrap sandwiches, 5 veg pasta, jacket potato with cheese & beans and spaghetti with a Napoli sauce, a fruit juice carton, a piece of fruit, a packet of crisps, biscuits and sweets. The couple is likely to carry this forward to the Christmas holidays.
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