Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
School to open and give hungry pupils meal on Xmas Day
Charity says kind move highlights poverty crisis
A STATE secondary is opening its doors tomorrow to make sure hard-up kids do not miss out on Christmas dinner.
Around 60 youngsters and a similar number of parents and pensioners will get turkey and all the trimmings, funded by wellwishers and served by volunteers.
Local firms also paid for gifts and entertainment at Park Community School in Havant, Hants, which serves deprived area Leigh Park.
Head Christopher Anders said: “Christmas brings pressures for families on low incomes. On Christmas Day at least we will know they are well fed. Without it some in our community could miss out.”
The school, which laid on festive dinners for all pupils on Friday too, also has award-winning initiative Munch to ensure no child is hungry in the holidays. And it had a foodbank in the run-up to Christmas.
Top charities praised the efforts but the National Education Union said they highlight “a frightening level of deep-rooted poverty”.
Alison Garnham, of Child Poverty Action Group, added: “We know things have got bad when it falls to schools, themselves facing cuts, to patch up the holes in the safety net.”
Shadow Education Secretary Angela Rayner said: “While it is wonderful to see a school stepping up, it is a stark reminder of the state of our country under the Tories.”
But Children and Families Minister Nadhim Zahawi said: “Since 2010 there are 300,000 fewer children living in absolute poverty.”
It is a stark reminder of the state of our country under the Tories ANGELA RAYNER MP ON SCHOOLS TAKING UP SLACK
THE Portsmouth school opening on Christmas Day to feed pupils and parents who would otherwise go hungry symbolises the very best and worst of the UK.
“Best” are the volunteers and donors at Park Community School in Havant – great people giving their time and money to provide a Christmas to families enduring hard times.
“Worst” is the fact that in one of the world’s wealthiest countries a Tory government has created hunger and destitution by ripping holes in the welfare state and punishing people who deserve compassion and help.
The Tory governments under Theresa May and David Cameron before her will never be forgiven for sinking the country so low.
We applaud generous Daily Mirror readers for donating more than £35,000 to our Trussell Trust Foodbank appeal to stop hunger.
But we badly need a government on our side, as this school in Portsmouth proves the Conservatives are the problem, not the answer.