‘I am disappointed as the MPs know the conditions our families are in’
HERO TEACHER WHO DELIVERED FOOD TO DEPRIVED CHILDREN SLAMS MPs’ ‘LACK OF MORALS’ OVER FREE SCHOOL MEALS VOTE
GRIMSBY’S heroic teacher Zane Powles has blasted local MPs for their “lack of morals” in depriving children of meals during holidays.
The Conservative Government rejected Opposition MPs’ move to ensure funding for the poorest children facing hunger during school holidays.
Campaigners, who were led by England international striker Marcus Rashford, successfully won a pledge from Government to supply money for free school meals in the summer holidays.
It led to underprivileged children and their families being given food vouchers through the six weeks of summer holidays, costing £126 million, and guaranteed that families were able to feed their children despite constraints caused by the coronavirus.
But in a motion submitted by Labour, calls were made to extend free school meals to cover holidays until Easter 2021, with the second wave of the coronavirus causing significant parts of the country to be under stricter social distancing measures.
The motion was rejected in the House of Commons on Wednesday night, with 322 noes winning over the 261 ayes.
For his campaigning zeal Marcus Rashford was honoured with an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
So too, was Grimsby’s sby’s superhero teacher Zane Powles for or his outstanding efforts delivering school meals to children from Western stern Primary School.
He told the Grimsby y Telegraph: “It shows their morals - or lack of them. After all that I and others hers have done they decide to take the meals away. “I am disappointed because the MPs know the conditions our families are in.
“Anything that can be done for these children is worth doing. It is hard to believe they have done this.” Zane, a father of three grown up children, is an assistant headteacher at Western Primary School and walked 7.5 miles a day for 17 weeks delivering food – he totalled more than 600 miles over this period to ensure children had meals during lockdown.
The 48-year-old former Grenadier Guardsman worked tirelessly to check on the welfare of the children as well as supplying them with dinners.
Zane said: “Because of the decision these MPs made it is the kids who will suffer and that should never be the case. Politicians have all the luxuries for themselves and they are leaving children without food - children who do not have a voice. It is not on.” A social media campaign was launched locally to organise donations so that children do not go hungry.
It is estimated there will be one million children who normally receive free school meals at holiday time who will now go without.
There are also estimated to be over four million children living in poverty. Matthew Head of Cleethorpes posted a message on Twitter stating he will be working with local food banks to co-ordinate meals for children in the holidays.
He was supported by Sidney Sussex councillor Gaynor Rogers. Damon Beecham urged local firms to donate food to prevent child hunger.
Anything that can be done for these children is worth doing. It is hard to believe they (MPs) have done this
Zane Powles