Aiming to ensure vulnerable children get food during the Holidays
Chiswick School Headteacher, Laura Ellener said, 'No child should have to go hungry'
Inspired by Premier League footballer, Marcus Rashford, Chiswick School has decided to reopen its fundraising campaign to support those children who attend the school and are entitled to free school meals.
The aim is to provide these families with a supermarket voucher of the value of a free school meal per day. This comes as a result of the government voting against extending free school meals to disadvantaged children during the holidays.
The school wants to raise enough money to ensure that it can provide its vulnerable pupils with a meal each day over the Christmas period. Hounslow Council has confirmed they will be providing food vouchers for children on free school meals during the October half term. The school has been contacted by concerned parents who want to donate.
Headteacher, Laura Ellener said, "No child should have to go hungry. If we can raise £10,000 that will help us to give 350 Chiswick School children a meal every day in the school holidays. If we can raise more, that will help us to support other Chiswick schools. We know that child poverty is a huge issue and even more so now that people are losing their jobs and finding it difficult to make ends meet."
The London Borough of Hounslow who have recently published 'A Borough Plan for Recovery' have said 40% of the Hounslow workforce is now unemployed or on furlough and many children are being affected in the second stage of the pandemic.
Local MP Ruth Cadbury said she found the way community groups were stepping up to support with meals for children inspiring. This week Wednesday (21 October) she voted for a motion in the House of Commons which would have provided free school meals during the holidays throughout the October half term and through to Easter however, this was defeated by the government.
Speaking afterwards she said, ‘‘I was proud to be one of the 261 MPs who voted to ensure that millions of children would have access to free school meals over the holidays. I want to thank Marcus Rashford and all those campaigning across the country for this this important campaign.
“Sadly in an act of heartlessness that is becoming too common for this Government, the Government voted against this.
"It’s shocking that they would do so in the middle of a pandemic when families across the country are struggling.
“Here in Hounslow I know how tough it has been for many families; over 3,000 children are eligible for free school meals in our constituency alone. I also know many people have lost work due to the coronavirus pandemic.”
She added that locally groups such as the Open Kitchen and Hounslow Foodbox have done ‘amazing’ work.
Following the unsuccessful vote Hounslow Council announced that all children and young people who are eligible for free school meals will be provided with vouchers from the Council. The vouchers will cover the cost of meals for October half-term and will be available to families retrospectively.
Cllr Tom Bruce, Cabinet Member for Education, Children and Youth Services, said: “It was incredibly disappointing that the Government chose not to support children and young people who may be going hungry this half-term.
“The coronavirus pandemic has contributed to a sharp increase in child poverty and without school dinners many children do not have access to decent meals.
“I’m delighted that we’ve been able to step in to fund the provision of free school meals to try to ensure that no children in Hounslow will be going hungry. We’re also committed to making sure no child goes without over Christmas either.”
During the Summer term the Chiswick School raised over £10,000 pounds which enabled them to provide food parcels, fridges and even a bike to disadvantaged families as well as ensuring 150 children with no computers at home had a device that they could use.
Anyone wishing to donate can do so by visiting the school website .
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October 24, 2020
