, , ,

Abena Oppong-Asare MP Welcomes Labour’s Free School Meals Expansion Plan for Thousands of Erith and Thamesmead Children

Abena Oppong-Asare, MP for Erith and Thamesmead has today (Friday 6 June) come out in support of the Labour government’s plans to deliver a free nutritious meal every school day for over half a million more children, as Labour puts £500 back into parents’ pockets every year by expanding eligibility for free school meals.  

This news comes after the successful launch of free breakfast clubs earlier this year, including at local primary schools in Erith and Thamesmead. Abena Oppong-Asare MP was delighted to visit one of these schools – Jubilee Primary School – to witness firsthand the positive difference the breakfast clubs are already making for local pupils and their families.

This announcement now means from the start of the 2026 school year, every pupil in Erith and Thamesmead whose household is on Universal Credit will have a new entitlement to free school meals. This will make life easier and more affordable for parents who struggle the most, delivering on Labour’s Plan for Change to break down barriers to opportunity and give children the best start in life. 

The unprecedented expansion will lift 100,000 children across England completely out of poverty. Giving children the access to a nutritious meal during the school day also leads to higher attainment, improved behaviour and better outcomes – meaning they get the best possible education and chance to succeed in work and life. 

The expansion will mean half a million more free lunches across England, on top of the 3 million already dished out every day – bringing the numbers up towards 8,880 right here in Erith and Thamesmead constituency.

Since 2018, children have only been eligible for free school meals if their household income is less than £7,400 per year, meaning hundreds of thousands of children living in poverty has been unable to access free school meals. 

Labour’s historic new expansion to those on Universal Credit will change this and comes ahead of the Child Poverty Taskforce publishing its ten-year-strategy to drive sustainable change later this year. It comes on top of targeted support for families being hit the hardest with the cost-of-living crisis, with urgent action including raising the national minimum wage, uprating benefits and supporting 700,000 families through the Fair Repayment Rate on Universal Credit deductions. 

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

“Working parents across the country are working tirelessly to provide for their families but are being held back by cost-of-living pressures.

“My government is taking action to ease those pressures. Feeding more children every day, for free, is one of the biggest interventions we can make to put more money in parents’ pockets, tackle the stain of poverty, and set children up to learn.

“This expansion is a truly historic moment for our country, helping families who need it most and delivering our Plan for Change to give every child, no matter their background, the same chance to succeed.”

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

“It is the moral mission of this government to tackle the stain of child poverty, and today this government takes a giant step towards ending it with targeted support that puts money back in parents’ pockets.

“From free school meals to free breakfast clubs, breaking the cycle of child poverty is at the heart of our Plan for Change to cut the unfair link between background and success.

“We believe that background shouldn’t mean destiny. Today’s historic step will help us to deliver excellence everywhere, for every child and give more young people the chance to get on in life.”

Labour is also offering more than £13 million in funding to 12 food charities across England to redistribute thousands of tonnes of fresh produce directly from farms to fight food poverty in communities.

The Tackling Food Surplus at the Farm Gate scheme is helping farms and organisations to work collaboratively to ensure edible food that might have been left in fields instead ends up on the plates of those who need it, including schoolchildren. This comes as part of Labour’s wider Food Strategy, helping to drive change and support a healthier, more sustainable and resilient food system.

Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said:

“Poverty robs children of opportunities and damages their future prospects. This is a moral scar on our society we are committed to tackling.

“By expanding Free School Meals to all families on Universal Credit, we’re ending the impossible choice thousands of our hardest grafting families must make between paying bills and feeding their children.

“This is just the latest step of our Plan for Change to put extra pounds in people’s pockets – a downpayment on our Child Poverty Strategy, building on our expansion of free breakfast clubs, our national minimum wage boost and our cap on Universal Credit deductions through the Fair Repayment Rate.”

Abena Oppong-Asare, MP for Erith and Thamesmead, said:

“I know from speaking directly to local parents how much the stain of child poverty has impacted families in Erith and Thamesmead. 

“That’s why I fully support this decisive and much needed action to expand the entitlement for free school meals to thousands of children across Erith and Thamesmead, lifting many out of poverty and putting money back in parents’ pockets. 

“Children deserve the best start in life, and I’m proud that Labour is delivering this through its Plan for Change.”

To ensure quality and nutrition in meals for the future, Labour is also acting quickly with experts across the sector to revise the School Food Standards, so every school is supported with the latest nutrition guidance.

This new entitlement will apply to children in all settings where free school meals are currently delivered, including schools, school-based nurseries and Further Education settings. We expect the majority of schools will allow parents to apply before the start of the school year 2026, by providing their National Insurance Number to check their eligibility.

Schools and local authorities will continue to receive pupil premium and home to school transport extended rights funding based on the existing free school meals threshold. 

This is just the latest step in Labour’s Plan for Change to break the unfair link between background and opportunity, including rolling out free breakfast clubs, expanding government funded childcare to 30 hours a week for working parents and commitment to cap the number of branded school uniform items.

From April 2026 until the end of parliament, millions of households are set to receive a permanent yearly above inflation boost to Universal Credit. The increase, a key element of the Government’s welfare reforms to be laid before Parliament, will tackle the destitution caused by years of inaction that has left the value of the standard allowance at a 40 year low by the early 2020s.

/by
, , ,

Abena Oppong-Asare MP Celebrates Labour’s Vital Investment in Repairs at Five Erith and Thamesmead Schools

Pupils in Erith and Thamesmead are set to benefit from essential maintenance fixes being rolled out in schools across the country thanks to the Labour government, with up to £110.3 million being invested in schools across London alone through the Condition Improvement Fund (CIF).

Children at these local schools will benefit from a share of £470 million for projects in education and healthcare settings, set to fix crumbling roofs and remove dangerous asbestos – restoring pride in England’s classrooms and undoing years of dangerous Conservative neglect.

The five schools in Erith and Thamesmead that will benefit from the fund include:

  • Christ Church (Erith) Church of England Primary School
  • Shooters Hill Sixth Form College
  • St Augustine of Canterbury Church of England Primary School
  • Trinity Church of England School, Belvedere
  • Windrush Thamesmead Primary School

These schools will benefit from a range of essential upgrades, including urgent fire safety improvements, modern heating systems, and other critical infrastructure repairs. This will ensure local pupils are kept warm, safe, and in the best possible environment for learning.

The funding is part of Labour’s mission to fix the dire state of public services inherited from the Conservatives and deliver investment and reform through the Plan for Change, supporting children to get the best start in life.

It is part of a record £2.1 billion investment into the school estate this year – £300 million more than the previous year – as Labour forges on with delivering for the public by investing in our children, their futures and the future of this country.

MP for Erith and Thamesmead, Abena Oppong-Asare, said:

“Parents across Erith and Thamesmead will remember the terror of the RAAC crisis, the fear that children were no longer safe in their own school because of years of Tory neglect.

“Labour is turning the page through our Plan for Change, literally fixing the foundations of our schools so local children are in a safe environment where the can achieve and thrive.

“Having spoken directly to many schools in our community, I know just how urgently these improvements are needed. These upgrades will make a real difference to staff, pupils, and the future of our local schools.

“With free breakfast clubs, cheaper uniform costs and safer schools, Labour is setting children up for the best start.”

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

“The defining image of the school estate under the previous government was children sitting under steel props to stop crumbling concrete falling on their heads. It simply isn’t good enough.

“Parents expect their children to learn in a safe warm environment. It’s what children deserve, and it is what we are delivering.

“This investment is about more than just buildings – it’s about showing children that their education matters, their futures matter, and this government is determined to give them the best possible start in life.”

Labour’s investment will deliver energy efficient, warm classrooms with safe outdoor spaces that are not just fit for lessons, but for the future. Creating a welcoming and supportive school environment for generations of children so they can achieve and thrive as they progress through their education.

A further £1.4 billion will back the acceleration of the School Rebuilding Programme this year, with a commitment to kickstart projects at 100 schools this year alone, as Labour seeks to fix the foundations of our school estate.

Rejuvenating schools by delivering new, high-quality buildings that are not just energy efficient but fit for all pupils needs.

This will provide high-tech facilities that will raise the standards of education through new sports halls, IT rooms, school kitchens and playgrounds that children and staff can enjoy for years to come.

Projects will be delivered during the 2025 to 2026 financial year, with the first upgrades expected to begin this summer.

/by
, ,

Backing the Government’s Crack Down on Fly-Tipping

In recent years, fly-tipping has skyrocketed by a fifth whilst the number of prosecutions has fallen by the same amount. The failure to punish these criminals has left our high streets, roads and countryside buried under an avalanche of rubbish.

Having campaigned on this issue during my time in opposition, I strongly welcome the new Government’s tough stance on fly-tipping and waste crime. For far too long, under previous Governments, waste criminals and fly-tippers who blight our communities went unpunished undeterred. That ends now.

Councils will now have the power to work with the police to identify, seize, and crush vehicles used by waste criminals. Drones and mobile CCTV cameras will be deployed to track down the cars and vans used by fly-tippers so they can be taken off our streets and destroyed.

Those who operate illegally will face serious consequences – with new legislation introducing prison sentences of up to five years for those caught transporting or dealing with waste unlawfully.

These are strong but necessary steps to clean our streets, both here in Erith and Thamesmead and across Britain as well. I will continue to keep a close eye on how this policy is implemented locally, and I welcome any concerns or suggestions constituents may have as we work together to tackle this important local issue.

Pleased the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs personally addressed this vital issue facing Erith and Thamesmead in the video above.

My Post on Social Media supporting the Government Announcement:

/by
, , , ,

Celebrating New Free Breakfast Clubs at Primary Schools in Thamesmead

School mornings have likely got a lot easier for many families in the constituency of Erith and Thamesmead this month as the Labour Government rolls out an initial 750 free breakfast clubs at primary schools across the country.

Two of the schools selected for this initial phase are Willow Bank Primary School and Jubilee Primary School, both based in South East London’s Thamesmead community.

The breakfast clubs offer 30 minutes of free childcare, a healthy start for kids and a little more breathing room before the school bell rings.

Parents will be supported with additional time at the start of the day to attend appointments, get to work on time and run errands. In total, this means parents may be able to save up to 95 additional hours and £450 per year if their child attends free breakfast clubs every day.

This amount rises to a saving of up to £8,000 every year when combining Labour’s free breakfast clubs with further support through the expansion of government-funded childcare and new school uniform cap on branded items.

Today, local MP for Erith and Thamesmead, Abena Oppong-Asare, welcomed the announcement by visiting Jubilee Primary School. She joined their morning breakfast club and spoke with teachers, parents, and students about the positive impact these clubs will have on their lives.

Universal free breakfast clubs are central to the Labour Government’s Plan for Change, removing barriers to opportunity by making sure every child starts the school day ready to learn – with research showing the clubs have a lasting impact on children’s behaviour, attendance and attainment.

The scheme also has an important role to play in Labour’s commitment remove the stain of child poverty. Out of the 180,000 children who will benefit from the early adopter schools nationwide, around 67,000 attend schools in deprived areas. This will provide an essential meal to ensure every child starts the day ready to learn.

These clubs also sit alongside Labour’s action to tackle the cost of living, with inflation falling for two months in a row, wages growing faster than prices and fuel duty frozen. Together, the Labour Government believes this shows their Plan for Change is delivering for working families.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

“As a parent, I know that the combined pressures of family life and work can often feel impossible to juggle. That is why our manifesto promised to make parents lives easier and put more money in their pockets with free breakfast clubs. Under a year since we came into office, this government is delivering that through our Plan for Change.

“The rollout of free breakfast clubs is a truly game-changing moment for families in this country. They mean parents will no longer be hamstrung by rigid school hours and have the breathing space they need to beat the morning rush, attend work meetings and doctors’ appointments, or run errands. And crucially, it means better life chances for children.

“By making these clubs free and universal, we’re doing something that previous governments have never done. We’re going further and faster to deliver the change working families deserve. That’s the change this government was elected to deliver.”

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

“Free breakfast clubs are a central part of our Plan for Change. At a time when there is so much pressure on families, they provide real help with the cost of living and ensure children start the day with a nutritious meal.

“On top of the hectic school run, parents should not have to worry about how to balance work and getting their children fed and ready for school. These clubs will break down barriers and help children settle in, focus and get the most out of their learning.

“We are delivering on our promises and giving every child the best start in life while making sure families get the support they need, wherever they live.”

Abena Oppong-Asare, MP for Erith and Thamesmead, said:

“I was elected to on a manifesto promising change and the opening of the new free breakfast clubs at Willow Bank Primary School and Jubilee Primary School, supporting families in Erith and Thamesmead, shows that Labour is delivering.

“The new clubs prove that Labour’s Plan for Change is putting children first, supporting working families and breaking down barriers to opportunity.

“During my visit to Jubilee Primary School today, I saw firsthand how the free breakfast clubs are set to become a vital support for our local community; getting children school-ready, improving attendance, attainment and wellbeing, as well as saving local families up to £8,000 a year.”

Government research shows most parents (87%) think breakfast clubs are a good chance for children to socialise, and two thirds (66%) recognise the value of clubs providing educational activities.

Breakfast clubs have been shown to boost children’s reading, writing, and maths by an average of two months.

Early Adopter schools, including Willow Bank Primary School and Jubilee Primary School will shape the future of the national breakfast club policy, contributing directly to its implementation. The wider paid-for wraparound childcare offer – for all primary children to be able to access childcare between 8am-6pm – continues to roll out across the country.

Victoria Taylor, mum of two children aged 5 and 7, said:

“For me, free breakfast clubs provide vital support, meaning I can get into work a little easier and ensure my two kids are settled and ready to learn.

“I’m a primary school teacher, so early mornings are a must however I try to not let my busy schedule dictate the pace of mornings. “Taking my children to breakfast clubs means I know they are fed, ready to start the day and emotionally regulated – the commitment to rollout nationally will make the world of difference for working families.”

Social Media Post from Abena Oppong-Asare MP visit to Jubilee Primary School:

/by
, ,

Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW)

It was important this month to mark Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW). In my role as Shadow Minister for Mental Health, I have been working hard on our plans to end the current mental health crisis and wrote about these issues in the New Statesman here. 

I was also pleased to attend the Mental Health Foundation’s reception in Parliament and to meet Mr Motivator and Jonny Wilkinson, both influential and positive voices promoting good mental health and the importance keeping active. 

/by
,

Next Stop Thamesmead

Read more
/by
, , , , ,

Abena’s Summer School 2023

I’ve been delighted last month to hold my third annual Campaign Summer School.

At my jam-packed 3-day event, we had a fantastic group of enthusiastic and inspiring young people who were incredibly engaged in learning about how to make a successful campaign and gain the skills needed to make a real difference in our community.

On the first day, I was excited to share my journey to Parliament and what I do as the MP for Erith and Thamesmead. We were also privileged to be joined by Laura Coryton and Rima Amin, who shared their 5 steps for turning a petition into a successful campaign. Laura founded a campaign against the tampon tax in 2014 and Rima worked with Laura on the campaign when she worked at Change.org. We were also joined by Paul Richards who shared his expertise on writing press releases and Christine Quigley and Nick Smith who introduced the students to the world of finance and public affairs.

“Our campaign lobbied the government into establishing the tampon tax fund, through which almost £100m has been donated to female-focused charities”

Laura Coryton on her campaign against tampon tax

On day two, we were joined by Google, who shared how to navigate and make full use of the new digital age to build on campaign ideas, business ideas, and how to kickstart your career. It was also great to be joined by Kwajo Tweneboa who shared his first-hand experience of going from a concerned citizen to a veteran campaigner on housing issues across the country. We were also pleased to welcome Katie Perrior from iNHouse Communications and media experts from 853 and the Guardian, who shared their important knowledge on how to make a campaign successful.

We started the final day with a presentation about how Parliament works with a special briefing from an expert team at the UK Parliament. It was great to see the students ask so many questions about how our government works and how each of them can personally make a difference. I also want to thank Councillor Anthony Okereke, Leader of Greenwich Council, Martin Angus, from the Local Government Association (LGA), and Councillor Zainab Asumramu for sharing their important personal insights into the role of Local Government and how to get politically active in your local community.

Every year this is such a special week for me. I get to spend lots of time sharing what I know about campaigning and Politics and learning from local young activists across our community who care passionately about a number of critically important issues.

From national issues like Climate Change and the cost-of-living crisis, to local issues like vaping in schools and tackling fly-tipping, it was fantastic to discuss their ideas about what they can do to campaign for change.

I want to send a big thank you to all the speakers who joined during the week, to London South East College team in Erith, who hosted us, and to my team who did a wonderful job making the Summer School work so well. Finally, I also want to send a big thank you to all the students who were so engaged and optimistic and I’m sure will go on to do great things in their careers.

You can follow what happened on my social media or by looking up the hashtag #AbenaSummerSchool2023.

/by
,

Ticket Office Closures

As I’m sure many across the community are aware, it has recently been announced that there are plans to close rail ticket offices across the country including in our area of Erith and Thamesmead.

Last month, I wrote to both the Government and the CEO of Southeastern to express my concerns about the consequences of these closures, especially for the many elderly and disabled passengers who rely on these offices for travel. Currently, the plans would affect both Erith and Belvedere stations in our community. You can read these both at the end of this article. .

I also raised this with the Minister for Transport in the House of Commons. The Minister must assure the public over these plans. I will continue to monitor these issues and the concerns that constituents have raised with me on this issue.

The consultation for these proposals closes on 1st September 2023 and I urge all constituents to continue to express their views by contacting Southeastern on their website and by emailing London Travelwatch here: Southeastern.Consultation@Londontravelwatch.org.uk. Please also email me if you would like to share your thoughts on this important issue. Email me at abena.oppongasare.mp@parliament.uk.

Letter to the Secretary of State for Transport

Download

Letter to Steve White

Download
/by
, , ,

Abena’s visit to Nepal

At the end of May, I visited Nepal with WaterAid UK and the Coalition for Global Prosperity to see the impact of development projects supporting access to clean water.

It was wonderful to be able to visit the beautiful country of Nepal and meet so many people doing life-saving and transformational work. Visiting some of the programmes that WaterAid is undertaking illuminated the extent of the hardship and poverty that so many in Nepal are facing. It also showed the amazing progress that has been made.

Poor access to Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) presents some serious challenges to vulnerable communities in Nepal. These include the proliferation of water-borne illness, poor sanitation, and restrictions on the opportunities afforded to citizens.

What I found particularly worrying was that these issues disproportionately affect women and young girls. A lack of sanitation has been related to a disproportionately smaller number of girls attending schools, particularly affecting those on their menstrual cycles.

For instance, only 39% of schools have separate, female-friendly toilets, meaning many young girls are left without a safe space to clean themselves and manage the difficulties associated with menstruation. This can discourage girls from attending school altogether, through fear of judgment, embarrassment and even harassment.

It is therefore great to see the outstanding progress that WaterAid have made with their WASH programmes. Citizens in these areas have experienced vastly improved quality of life, with improved access to safe water, better toilets, and improved hygiene.

Young girls have been offered safe spaces, which has succeeded in breaking down some of the barriers that might stop them from receiving an equal education to their male counterparts. It’s a really promising story that I am keen to see continue.

/by
, , ,

Ukrainians in Greenwich Celebration Event

I was very pleased to join the Ukrainian community and a number of constituents from Erith and Thamesmead at this celebration event this month.

Last month, we all paused to reflect on the one-year anniversary of the illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. While the illegal war started by Russia continues, I want all the Ukrainians who have settled in our area to know that our support for you and all of the Ukrainian people remains.

It was a great event with great music, dancing, performances and beautiful artwork on display from across the community.  

/by