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Liverpool Council Will Feed 20,000 Hungry Kids Over Half-Term

Liverpool Council Will Feed 20,000 Hungry Kids Over Half-Term

It comes after a motion to provide free meal during half-term was voted down by the Conservatives

Claire Reid

Claire Reid

Liverpool City Council has announced it will be giving out free meal vouchers to the poorest kids across the city during half term.

Mayor Joe Anderson said the city will provide meal vouchers for 20,000 over half-term, the Liverpool Echo reports.

The announcement comes after Conservatives voted down a Labour motion in Parliament backing the campaign from Marcus Rashford to provide meals for poor children during half-term and school holidays until Easter next year.

PA

In a statement Mayor Anderson said: "We've all seen Marcus Rashford's campaign and I and my colleagues have all been really worried about kids going hungry in this city.

"As you can read in the ECHO, in some parts of Liverpool, 70 percent of children are living in poverty right now.

"So today I am announcing that the council will stand by these kids and extend our own voucher scheme to make sure that 20,000 children will get the food they desperately need over the holiday.

"Times are tough for this council and we have been hit hard, but we will never lose sight of how hard things are for people who are trying to make ends meet in this city and I'm proud to announce this support today."

PA

He continued: "Hopefully this will make things a little bit easier for the families just trying to put food on their tables for their children in Liverpool."

Yesterday, Rashford and his mum visited FareShare Greater Manchester's new food depot at New Smithfield Market, that will be named after Rashford's proud mum Melanie.

The 22-year-old called for people to unite to make sure no child goes hungry, after the coronavirus pandemic has meant that many low paid workers have lost their jobs.

The footballer wrote to MPs speaking about a food voucher scheme he used as a child.

He said: "I remember the sound of my mum crying herself to sleep to this day, having worked a 14-hour shift, unsure how she was going to make ends meet.

"The real superstars in this country can be found in the heart of most cities, towns and villages, working tirelessly to support our most vulnerable across the UK.

"As FareShare and other food-related charities approach one of the toughest Winters on record, with demand higher than ever before, it is important that I stay connected and lend my support wherever it is needed.

"When we stumble, there will always be a community to wrap their arms around us and pick us back up. For many of us, that is FareShare or the local food bank.

"Food banks who are staffed with selfless volunteers, dedicating their lives to protecting those most vulnerable, those who, in many cases, have fallen into unforeseen circumstances due to illness, personal loss and unemployment.

PA

"It should be noted that a lot of these volunteers have themselves suffered unemployment as a result of the pandemic, yet they still strive to help others less fortunate.

"That to me is the greatest example of what we can do, and the difference we can make, when we just work together."

Businesses across the country have stepped in, with Rashford tweeting out dozens of small businesses offering free meals for vulnerable kids this half-term - despite many of them struggling themselves.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Liverpool, UK News, Politics