Hopes children across Harrogate district won't go hungry as MPs discuss 'end child food poverty' petition
It was launched after the government voted against extending the free school meal voucher scheme
We’re being urged to support families across Harrogate district struggling to make ends meet as MPs are today set to discuss a petition to end child food poverty.
MPs will discuss the End Child Food Poverty petition, launched in 2020, at 4.30pm today (Monday 24 May). It was set up in response to the free school meal debate where the Government U-turned on its decision to not extend the service into the school holidays.
Organisers say children shouldn't "pay the price" for the Covid-19 pandemic and are calling on the Government to implement three recommendations from the National Food Strategy.
This includes expanding access to Free School Meals to any child under the age of 16 who has a parent receiving Universal Credit or equivalent benefits, providing meals and activities during holidays to stop holiday hunger and to increase the value of and expand the Healthy Start scheme vouchers to £4.25 per week.
A Ripon charity have vowed to tackling child food poverty in the city and surrounding area by giving families the tools to create healthy, cost effective meals.
Back to Basics provide families in need with free recipes and ingredients and hold weekly cookery classes over Zoom so parents and children can learn how to make meals everyone can enjoy.
Helen Mackenzie, founder, said: "It's that old saying 'give a man a fish and he eats for the night. If you teach him to fish he'll eat for life'. So if I just gave them a shepherd's pie, what have they learnt? But if I give them mince, potatoes, carrots and stock you can make a lot of meals.
"Learning to cook and buying the fresh ingredients. It's healthy and is actually cheaper. That's what I want to get out there that going to the market and getting a pound of carrots and a bag of mushrooms can be the essence of quite a lot of meals.
"You cannot fathom the poverty I have seen in middle class Ripon. If a family runs out of juice they'll drink water until payday. They cannot make ends meet. You can be working full time and still struggle.
"People are out there that really are struggling. We only have 12 families and I do believe that is just the tip of the iceberg. I think there could be hundreds."
Since its launch, the petition received over 1 million signatures.
It led to businesses across the country offering free meals to families who were in need and was backed by Manchester United and England international Marcus Rashford.