How to find free school holiday meals in Cheshire
From food banks to football clubs, tea rooms to chippies shops, cafes to councils, shops to restaurants, Cheshire businesses are rising to support Marcus Rashford’s half-term holiday campaign to feed children in need. Across social media, hundreds of organisations are offering to feed children after a Labour motion to offer free school meals during holidays until Easter 2021, was voted down 322 votes to 261 last week,
Manchester technology company Silverchip Ltd has set up a website here where you can enter your postcode to find businesses providing support during the holidays, saying: “No child deserves to be hungry; no child should be without food. Inspired by Marcus Rashford’s efforts to get school meals extended through the holidays, this directory will provide a list of businesses, services and organisations offering meals.”
Outspoken North-West based chef and restaurant owner Gary Usher told Twitter with his trademark passion, that despite many in the restaurant business facing closure: “We think hungry kids are more important.”
And Manchester United player Rashford, who leads the campaign, said he was proud to be British after communities rallied to offer food during this week’s break. “Some of our children will be waking up anxious this Monday morning. Let’s show them that there is never any shame in asking for help.” He urged his followers to sign the petition here. Headed ‘End child food poverty – no child should be going hungry’, the petition urges the government to:
“Support vulnerable children & #endchildfoodpoverty by implementing 3 recommendations from the National Food Strategy to expand access to Free School Meals, provide meals & activities during holidays to stop holiday hunger & increase the value of and expand the Healthy Start scheme.”
Tanya Bardsley of the Real Housewives of Cheshire praised Silverchip Ltd for setting up the link that enables people to locate the businesses offering free meals: “In the wake of @marcusrashford amazing work this kind company has set up a website so people can locate the nearest free meals for their children, go here and type in your postcode. Please share this,” she posted on Instagram.
Hundreds of people have given to an appeal by Cheshire High Sheriff Nick Hopkinson and his son Toby to buy hampers for vulnerable families in Warrington. Hoppy Sheriff told his Facebook followers: “I cannot tell you how much of a difference these will make to the people who get them.” And Cheshire Life editor Joanne Goodwin said: “The response over the weekend has been overwhelming across the region, with hundreds of businesses, many of whom are facing severe financial problems themselves because of the effects of the pandemic, offering free food. Cheshire Life is currently running awards in conjunction with its Keep Life local campaign, which is aimed at supporting Cheshire independent traders and there is a category called the Community Initiative Award, for projects that have come to fruition during the Covid-19 crisis to support the local community. The awards close at midday on November 6 and we have had more than 2,000 entries across all the categories to date. This particular category is a way of honouring those who have stepped up to support communities during the pandemic, and never more so than in the past few days with the way Cheshire is helping to feed children who are going to bed and waking up hungry. Please nominate a business or a community, or an individual who has stepped up, so they will get the recognition they deserve.”
