Leeds schools turning to foodbanks for half-term meals

After the government voted down a motion to extend free school meals throughout the October half term, a Leeds charity has seen requests from schools across the city.

Vulnerable Citizen's Support recently opened a foodbank and support centre in Armley, extending its services after supporting homeless people since 2019.

But as requests have soared throughout the pandemic, schools have started reaching out asking them to help families get through the October break.

Haydn Lee Jessop from the charity said: "Schools are worried about how they're going to cater or set a provision for the holidays coming. Teachers are worried about what's going to happen next for families on the breadline.

"They're now coming to organisations like mine for help. We've had local schools in Armley, but all the way out to Farnley asking are you going to be able to cover the half term provision? Can we refer any families to you?

"We're already catering to a hundred families a week with our food parcels so now it's just about getting more volunteers to help."

With almost 80,000 children on free school meals across the whole of West Yorkshire, Haydn says it's vital they get as much support as they can.

While he'll be helping families with food parcels, cafes, pubs and restaurants across the country have also stepped up to offer free school meals for local children during half term, after MPs rejected the campaign which was started by footballer Marcus Rashford.

The vote on the measures was backed by Labour and made its way to Parliament this week, but it was defeated by 322 votes to 261.

Seven MPs across West Yorkshire voted against the motion.

Now dozens of hospitality businesses have shown they "stand with Rashford, not the 322'', by supporting families during the school holidays.

Among them is Asad Arif from Leeds Indian restaurant Mumtaz. He put up a post on Facebook offering meals for children between age 4 and 16 from Saturday 24th October to Sunday 1st November. He said: "This is not about politics. I saw people bickering online and I thought no one is helping anyone by bickering. Why not use that energy to help?

"I come from a background where we would have days with just sugar water with yoghurt. It affects your health and I only realised when I was older how my mum would go without just to let us have something.

"We can't afford this, COVID has ruined us but I would never want what happened to me to happen to anyone else."

Rashford, who was recently awarded an MBE after forcing a Government U-turn on free school meal vouchers over the summer holidays, said he was "blown away'' by the offers of support, and has been retweeting businesses offering free meals.

"Selflessness, kindness, togetherness, this is the England I know,'' the Manchester United footballer tweeted.