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We need free school meals to ensure ‘holiday without hunger’

I’ve called on the Government to fund free school meals this summer to ensure a ‘holiday with hunger’.

Today, on 15th June 2020, I wrote to the Secretary of State for Education demanding he reverses his decision to withdraw funding for free school meals over the summer holidays as part of Labour’s ‘Holiday without Hunger’ campaign.

In Erith and Thamesmead 3,759 children are at risk of going hungry this summer as the government withdraws support for the provision of free school meals. The added pressure of the coronavirus crisis is plunging families into deeper poverty. Social distancing rules have also raised questions on whether holiday lunch schemes may run, leaving many families rightly concerned about how they will afford food during the summer holidays.

Children must not go hungry this summer, as the Covid-19 crisis hits family incomes and charities and food banks struggle to provide the same level of holiday support. The government has to continue funding free school meals throughout the summer holidays. It is callous that they are refusing to do so.

Labour’s ‘Holiday without Hunger’ campaign launched on Sunday 14th June. For more information click here: http://labour.org.uk/holidayswithouthunger/

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MP visits local schools

New Erith and Thamesmead MP Abena Oppong-Asare has been introducing herself to local school children in a series of visits to local schools.

During her first months as our MP, Abena has visited a number of local schools, including Discovery, Alexander McCleod, St Fidelis and Woolwich Polytechnic School for Girls. She toured the schools, met with teachers and other school staff and held Q&A events with children.

Abena said “I have had the pleasure of visiting several schools over the last month. Children in each had a chance to ask me questions and to debate important policy issues such as homelessness. It is great to see the next generation taking an active interest in society and politics.”

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