OUR CHILDREN WON’T GO HUNGRY
MAYOR’S VOW AFTER MARCUS RASHFORD CAMPAIGN SHOT DOWN – AND CITY BUSINESSES RALLY TO DO THEIR BIT
BRISTOL schoolchildren will receive free school meals during the holidays, it has been announced.
Despite the UK government voting against funding school meals during the half term holidays, Bristol Mayor Marvin Rees has said the city will be “stepping up” to “make sure our children are fed”.
The Bristol Mayor announced the news on Friday in a video on social media.
He said: “We’ve made tackling child hunger our priority. It was one of our commitments in 2016 and working with city partners from Fairshare and Feeding Bristol.
“We’ve done incredibly well. Fifty thousand meals went out to children last summer holiday, our private sector has come forward, so I think as a city we can be really proud of those values.
“Unfortunately this week, government voted down efforts to raise support from national government for local authorities and partners who want to continue to make sure that our children are fed.
“Particularly at this very challenging time, as they go into the school holidays, those children who get free school meals no longer have access tothem.
“Back in Easter, we were part of a national lobbying campaign that led government to support children over the Easter holidays. This time, we have not been successful,
We were disappointed at the decision of Parliament around this issue Mayor Marvin Rees
even despite the efforts of Marcus Rashford again.
“I am pleased to say that we as a city are stepping up again and in the absence of national government support, we’ve come together with Feeding Bristol and we will be making sure that a food safety net is put in place so that our most vulnerable children and their families are not left to fall through the gaps.”
In a separate statement, Mayor Rees said: “We were disappointed at the decision of Parliament around this issue which once again has thrown into sharp relief the Government’s failure to provide the necessary support and funding to ensure children can be provided with meals during future school holidays.
“Years of austerity have created a challenging environment for local authority funding, but as on previous occasions this year, Bristol City
Council is working hard with partners on plans to offer further support to those encountering problems with food support during this coming half term holiday and we will explain how families can access help once they have been finalised.
“This will build on the work already being done in our communities and we have already put in place an existing infrastructure to facilitate it.
“Working with One City partners we have already offered struggling families help to access the network of food clubs and food banks operating throughout the city as well as dealing with applications for further support including through the Hardship Fund.
“We thank those businesses in the city who have offered to step up to offer yet more support and will continue working with them and all partners to continue our attempts to alleviate child hunger through the school holidays.’’
Neighbouring council Bath and North East Somerset is also planning to help feed families who will be struggling during the school break.
Councillor Kevin Guy, cabinet member for Children’s Services, said: “I am appalled at the Government’s recent decision not to extend the free school meal provision for the upcoming holidays.
In B&NES (Bath and North Somerset) we have more than 4,000 children who receive free school meals and I am working with my cabinet colleagues and local charities on how we might be able to provide the funding for these children up to the Easter holidays next year. All options will be explored to ensure no child in B&NES goes hungry over the holiday periods.”