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School Meal Vouchers: Applauding Marcus Rashford and compassionate Brentwood businesses

Brentwood Liberal Democrats wish to applaud footballer Marcus Rashford for his campaign to provide free school meal vouchers during school holidays until next Easter as families in poverty struggle to cope during the Coronavirus pandemic.

We also praise those local businesses that, despite suffering through lockdown, have offered free meals to those in need during half term.

However, we are also appalled that our MP, Conservative Alex Burghart, voted against feeding hungry children.

Cllr Karen Chilvers

Cllr David Kendall

Cllr Karen Chilvers, who stood against Mr Burghart when he was first elected in 2017, said:

"In Brentwood, 20% of our children live in poverty, How can our MP vote against something that would ensure they are adequately fed during school holidays? It makes me so angry and I expect better, I don't know how he sleeps at night".

Cllr David Kendall, our 2019 parliamentary candidate, said:

"Marcus Rashford has done a fantastcic job highlighting this very important issue. Businesses and other organizations have stepped up to the plate - literally - to make up for the government's failings. This Conservative government should be ashamed of their stance on free school meals. The Tories can find money for their pet projects but when it comes to children's welfare and free school meals for those that really need them they have failed to deliver".

NOTE:

Many businesses have offered free meals to children, but it is moving so fast it is impossible to keep up! Below is the advice from www.moneysavingexpert.com

How do I find out where free food is being offered to kids?

Many offers of free food have been made in the past couple of days, and often they come from small independent restaurants or cafes, so there's no one easy way to check. But here's what to try:

• Scour local social media. Restaurants are often sharing details locally, so look at local Facebook groups and the local press for who may be taking part in your area - or check restaurants' social media accounts directly.
  
  
• Check Marcus Rashford's Twitter feed. In the last 24 hours, Rashford has been publicising many of those who've come forward via his Twitter account.
  
  
• Use our list below - though it's just a snapshot. We've listed some of those we've spotted offering free food below, with a few details about what they've said they'll offer (thought this could always change, so you'll need to check). Some are those highlighted by Rashford - others are those we've seen on social media or which have been flagged by MoneySavers. It's far from an exhaustive list of who's taking part though. We'll be updating this story, so let us know who else is doing this at news@moneysavingexpert.com.