Marcus Rashford urges people to petition MPs in bid to help end ‘pandemic’ of child hunger
It’s Marcus vs Boris again! England star Rashford calls on people to petition MPs in bid to help end the ‘pandemic’ of child hunger
England and Manchester United footballer said child food poverty getting worse Recommendations include expanding kids free meal and healthy start eligibilitySurvey of UK households by found 15 per cent have experienced food insecurity
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Marcus Rashford is calling on people to petition their MP to back ending the ‘child hunger pandemic’.
The England and Manchester United footballer said that ‘devastatingly’ child food poverty is getting worse instead of better.
The three recommendations Rashford is supporting are from the national food strategy developed by the Government’s food tsar, Henry Dimbleby.
Marcus Rashford (pictured) is calling on people to petition their MP to back ending the ‘child hunger pandemic’
They include expanding free school meal eligibility, providing long-term funding for the holiday activities and food programme and increasing eligibility, and expanding eligibility for the healthy start scheme which provides vouchers for milk, fruit and vegetables.
Rashford, 23, said: ‘We should be focusing efforts on developing a sustainable long-term roadmap out of this child hunger pandemic.
‘I hope that we see the required investment pledged during the Autumn Spending Review.
‘I will be writing to my MP about it, and I would encourage you all to do the same.’ This follows his successful campaign to persuade the Government to provide free meals to vulnerable youngsters in England during school holidays during the pandemic.
A survey of 6,490 UK households by The Food Foundation found that 15 per cent have experienced food insecurity in the past six months – levels that are approximately 27 per cent higher than before the pandemic.
Rashford adedd: ‘Whilst we’ve come a long way in the last 20 months, placing the issue of child food poverty at the forefront, devastatingly, the issue is getting worse not better.
‘The entire nation got behind the national team this summer so let’s put these figures in football terms: You can fill 27 Wembley stadiums with the 2.5 million children that are struggling to know where their next meal might be coming from today.
‘What is it going to take for these children to be prioritised?’
The three recommendations Rashford is supporting are from the national food strategy developed by the Government’s food tsar, Henry Dimbleby (pictured)
Anna Taylor, executive director of The Food Foundation, said: ‘It’s extremely distressing that now even more children lack a secure, nutritious diet compared with last year.
‘Despite a sense of ‘normality’ returning, this is no time for complacency – we can’t sit back and allow this damage to our children’s health, learning and life chances, not to mention the heavy burden it bears on our NHS.
‘We know children from deprived backgrounds have higher obesity rates, worse levels of diabetes, more tooth decay and even impaired height development compared with their wealthier peers.
‘This will only get worse if left unaddressed and entrench inequalities deeper. So, today, we are asking Government to act appropriately to protect our youngest citizens.’
Rashford waged a high-profile campaign last year to persuade the Government to provide free meals to vulnerable youngsters in England throughout the school holidays during the coronavirus pandemic, forcing Prime Minister Boris Johnson into a U-turn.
The 23-year-old also became the youngest person to top the Sunday Times Giving List by raising £20 million in donations from supermarkets for groups tackling child poverty.
