Hebden Royd Town Council backs £170m Government scheme for disadvantaged children
Hebden Royd Town Council have backed Government’s decision to U-turn on providing free meals to disadvantaged children over Christmas and beyond.
It comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson last week phoned Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford, who spearheaded the free school meals campaign, to alert him the decision to lay on £170 million extra funding.
The cash will introduce the Covid Winter Grant Scheme to support families over the season.
Councillor Richard Needham said: “I acknowledge the Government has now announced a child food poverty package. Hebden Royd welcomes this news, and we congratulate Marcus Rashford on his campaigning efforts.”
In response, Calderdale Council, the Community Foundation for Calderdale (CFFC), Piece Hall Trust and other partner organisations throughout the borough launched the Never Hungry Again campaign.
Since the introduction of the campaign, the CFFC has seen donations of £18,000, which have been match-funded to a total of £36,000.
“We’ll continue to match-fund until past Christmas, depending on resources,” said Mr Duncan.
Mr Needham said: “We welcome the actions of Calderdale Council in partnership with the local voluntary and private sectors to put in place provision to support children during school holidays- they are all to be congratulated.”
The child poverty package includes a £170 millinon Covid winter grant scheme to support vulnerable families and an extension of the Holiday Activities and Food Programme up to the end of 2021.
Former local Headteacher Coun Rob Freeth added: “Many children, through no fault of their own, go hungry without access to free school meals during holidays.
This has a long term negative impact on their wellbeing, health, learning and potential to succeed.
As a society we must do all that can be done to make sure that no child goes hungry.”