Marcus Rashford outlines three new initiatives to help combat child poverty in the UK in letter to the government
Marcus Rashford is spearheading a Child Food Poverty Task Force and has written to the government asking that they fund three major new initiatives to help feed more than two million children.
The Manchester United striker will announce his plans this morning.
In the government’s next Budget and Spending Review, he wants chancellor Rishi Sunak to: find funds for the expansion of free school meals to every family on Universal Credit or equivalent, helping an extra 1.5million seven to 16-year-olds; increase holiday provision to support another 1.1 million children receiving free school meals; and increase the Healthy Start vouchers from £3.10 per week to £4.25, impacting a further 290,000 pregnant women and children under age four.
Rashford, 22, has brought together leaders from across the food industry, including firms such as Tesco, Deliveroo, Waitrose, Aldi and Sainsbury’s, and persuaded them to set their rivalries aside for a unified cause.
In his letter to MPs, published today and shared with i, Rashford writes: “This last week, I have been lucky enough to spend time with families who have benefitted significantly from the extended food voucher scheme.
“The actions the government took have positively impacted millions of children’s lives in the UK. I know this because I have sat with parents who have cried with sheer relief that putting food on their children’s plates was one less thing to worry about this summer.
“However, as summer and the voucher scheme comes to an end and we face increased unemployment, we have to work towards implementing a sustainable long-term framework to protect children most at risk from food poverty. It was clear to me that the voucher scheme extension was only ever going to support this issue in the short-term and speaking to families directly has just reinforced that thinking.
“I spoke to a mother recently who, along with her two young sons, is currently living off three slices of bread a day – soaking them in hot water and adding sugar, hoping that the porridge consistency might better sustain the hunger of her one-year-old child.
“I spoke to a family who were sleeping on one mattress on the floor – the reason being, just like any good parent would, they had had no choice but to sell every valuable they owned to put food on the table for their children. All of this, a result of unforeseen circumstances that are entirely out of their control, such as redundancy and illness. This is the true reality of England in 2020.
“Within two days of sitting with these families, I could better understand how food poverty is contributing to social unrest. Watching a young boy keeping it together whilst his mother sobbed alongside him, feeling like he has to step up to protect his family and alleviate some of that worry. He was nine years old…”
Rashford recalls the harrowing memory of hearing his own mother, Melanie, cry herself to sleep after working a 14-hour shift and still being unsure how she would make ends meet. “That was my reality and thankfully I had the talent to kick a ball around to pull us all out of that situation. Many can’t find that way out and aren’t being offered a helping hand to do so.”
Rashford and the country’s major food brands will use their platforms and channels to share stories by those most affected by the issue.
During lockdown, Rashford wrote an open letter to MPs asking them to reverse the decision not to award free school meal vouchers in England out of term time. No10 initially rejected his plea but after sustained pressure, led by Rashford, prime minister Boris Johnson called the footballer 24 hours later to explain he had changed his mind. The government then announced a £120m Covid summer food fund that helped feed 1.3m pupils for the six-week summer holiday.
“As a sportsman, I have always found such power in unity and teamwork, and I’m thrilled that such influential voices have put any allegiance aside to join me on my mission to move the conversation of child food poverty forward,” Rashford says.
“4.2 million children were living in poverty in the UK prior to Covid-19 and this is expected to have risen; the Task Force stand together to offer these vulnerable children the platform they need to have their voices heard.
“I encourage everyone to stop and listen. The time for action is now. I’m proud and I’m humbled to see such a reaction and commitment from the food industry, and I am confident that together we can help change the lives of those most vulnerable for the better.”
He adds: “When we pause, listen and reflect on what the future of our next generation could potentially look like it’s easy to see that if we don’t take action quickly, the issue of child food poverty will have devastating effects on the stability of our country.
“These children are the future – our next generation of NHS workers, police officers, footballers and politicians. Allow our children to believe that, regardless of the cycle, they can be anything they put their mind to.”
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/2QGTT4t
