FEED CHILDREN DURING HOLIDAYS IN SOUTHAMPTON
The city of Southampton collaborated to support children in need by offering free meals over the October half-term.
In October, the Southampton City Council and local businesses joined forces to support children in need , by offering free hot meals over the Halloween week. Southampton citizens, schools, and charities collaborated to help any child who needed to be fed during the holidays.
This happened after the Labor party proposed a program in the House of Commons of extending free meals in schools during school holidays and the following decision of the Government made of not extending said program.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic many families have plunged into poverty and cannot cover their expenses as a consequence of the economic recess. According to Child Poverty Action Group the number of families who cannot offer adequate food to their children has increased.
Famous Manchester United player, Marcus Rashford, who efforts and dedication became national inspiration that motivated many residents to collaborate with this great project.
THE CALL OF SOUTHAMPTON CITY COUNCIL TO THE GOVERNMENT
The kindness and generosity shown by Southampton's residents and businesses that selflessly offered subtantial meals, raised great pride for the town, whose city council showed appreciation for the effort and support.
“It was a powerful message and it was fantastic. We worked hard to try to pull together and got a commitment to support every child in the city. So we tried to identify all the different places like the restaurants and other lots of voluntary groups ” said Councillor Professor Barrie Margetts.
The following video shows Southampton´s Light International Church. They offered their services to help with the cause during the month of October.
As stated by the City Council there are 9,000 children are depending on free meals in schools in Southampton. But the numbers could be even bigger, Barrie Margetts, proffesor at the University of Southampton and Founding president of The World Public Health Nutrition Association, reassures that as of right there are almost twenty thousand children awaiting for one of the free solidary meals.
On November 18, 2020, the city council asked the government to join the fight to end holiday hunger in Southampton for the next 3 years. Southampton asked for help with the development of a long-term plan to ensure that all children in the city will not hungry under any circumstances.
And as reported by LG Inform there are 11.1% of total children depending on free school meals around the entire southern area.
If you want to collaborate for the well-being of these children during the holidays you can donate on FareShare or The Times and The Sunday Times.
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