Henry Dimbleby: We have children breaking down and crying because of hunger
2 years, 2 months ago

Henry Dimbleby: We have children breaking down and crying because of hunger

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. It’s hard to perform academically or do physical exercise when you are hungry.” I’ve been calling for a change to the entitlement threshold for free school meals since 2013, when I wrote a report called The School Food Plan. It reported that nearly 700,000 children in England were struggling with hunger and its knock-on effects because they were deemed insufficiently poor to get free school meals. The unfairness is compounded by the knowledge that the free school meals threshold in Northern Ireland is nearly double that of England, ensuring far more Northern Irish children are able to go to school every day and participate fully in their own learning, not having to worry about what they’re going to eat for lunch. To keep up to speed with all the latest opinions and comment sign up to our free weekly Voices Dispatches newsletter by clicking here While the moral case for expanding free school meal entitlement is self-evident, the economic case should not be overlooked.

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History of this topic

Banning schools from serving meat is a recipe for disaster
3 months, 2 weeks ago

Banning schools from serving meat is a recipe for disaster

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Vince, an environmentally conscious entrepreneur who …

Nearly three in 10 teachers ‘bring in food for hungry pupils’
4 months, 1 week ago

Nearly three in 10 teachers ‘bring in food for hungry pupils’

The Independent  

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Children in UK getting shorter due to malnutrition in ‘national embarrassment’
6 months, 3 weeks ago

Children in UK getting shorter due to malnutrition in ‘national embarrassment’

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. open image in gallery Childhood obesity has been growing in the past decade Baroness …

WORLD AFFAIRS | Starving and homeless in United Kingdom
7 months, 4 weeks ago

WORLD AFFAIRS | Starving and homeless in United Kingdom

The Hindu  

Published : May 12, 2024 12:10 IST - 12 MINS READ The UK has become a country of mass destitution, and but for food banks would almost certainly be one of mass starvation. According to a December 2023 parliamentary briefing document, “Teacher Recruitment and Retention in England”, the then total—in England alone—of about 4,68,000 full-time-equivalent teachers in state sector schools …

Minnesota program to provide free school meals for all kids is costing the state more than expected
1 year ago

Minnesota program to provide free school meals for all kids is costing the state more than expected

Associated Press  

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota’s program to provide free school breakfasts and lunches to all students regardless of income is costing the state more than expected because of a jump in demand. Tim Walz signed the legislation last spring, advocates said the free meals would ease stresses on parents and help reduce childhood poverty while lifting the stigma on kids …

Schools providing ‘fourth emergency service’ feeding families in need – study
1 year, 1 month ago

Schools providing ‘fourth emergency service’ feeding families in need – study

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The spread of charitable food …

One in four teachers hands out food to children due to welfare concerns – survey
1 year, 4 months ago

One in four teachers hands out food to children due to welfare concerns – survey

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. FareShare, a charity which tackles hunger and food waste, is calling on the Government …

Hungry children stealing food as tens of thousands living in extreme poverty
1 year, 4 months ago

Hungry children stealing food as tens of thousands living in extreme poverty

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. One boy was unable to attend a job interview because he could not afford …

Starmer declines to commit to free school meals as he sets out education reforms
1 year, 6 months ago

Starmer declines to commit to free school meals as he sets out education reforms

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ …

Free school lunch works — but rightwingers don’t care about outcomes
1 year, 9 months ago

Free school lunch works — but rightwingers don’t care about outcomes

Raw Story  

“If a child is on the verge of starvation, you must call CPS, not spend hundreds of millions on disproportionately unhealthy lunches, a huge percentage of which are discarded,” conservative pundit Ben Shapiro told California Congressman Ted Lieu on Twitter. There’s a great deal of evidence that free school lunches reduce student hunger and improve children’s health. School lunches have …

“Poverty is a policy choice”: Minnesota kids cheer new law guaranteeing free school lunch for all
1 year, 9 months ago

“Poverty is a policy choice”: Minnesota kids cheer new law guaranteeing free school lunch for all

Salon  

This article originally appeared at Common Dreams. But 1 in 4 food-insecure kids live in households that don't qualify for the federal free and reduced meal program, leading to "mounting school lunch debts in the tens of thousands of dollars," Minnesota Public Radioreported. "As a former teacher, I know that providing free breakfast and lunch for our students is one …

‘It’s hard to focus': Schools say American kids are hungry
1 year, 9 months ago

‘It’s hard to focus': Schools say American kids are hungry

Associated Press  

PHOENIX — America’s schools say kids are hungry — just as pandemic-era benefit programs have lapsed. School cafeterias typically don’t turn away a hungry kid, but debts for unpaid school meals have been rising — showing the level of need, and raising questions about how schools will keep feeding everyone, without federal money to do it. The neediest kids are …

‘It’s hard to focus’: Schools say American kids are hungry
1 year, 9 months ago

‘It’s hard to focus’: Schools say American kids are hungry

LA Times  

Students select their meal during lunch break in the cafeteria at V. H. Lassen Academy of Science and Nutrition in Phoenix on Jan. 31. School cafeterias typically don’t turn away a hungry kid, but debts for unpaid school meals have been rising — showing the level of need, and raising questions about how schools will keep feeding everyone, without federal …

School meals ‘should be free for all pupils just like desks and chairs’
1 year, 10 months ago

School meals ‘should be free for all pupils just like desks and chairs’

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy All children …

Food Poverty Haunts UK: How 4 million children are going hungry
1 year, 10 months ago

Food Poverty Haunts UK: How 4 million children are going hungry

Firstpost  

A report by The Food Foundation think tank has revealed that nearly four million children in the UK experienced food poverty in January this year. This comes as the demand for expanding free school meals to pupils is rising in the country amid a cost-of-living crisis Nearly 4 million children in the United Kingdom experience food poverty, new data has …

Free school meals for all primary school pupils in London, Sadiq Khan to announce
1 year, 10 months ago

Free school meals for all primary school pupils in London, Sadiq Khan to announce

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} The mayor of …

Scrapping tax cut for banks could feed 1.9 million children, Rishi Sunak told
2 years ago

Scrapping tax cut for banks could feed 1.9 million children, Rishi Sunak told

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. If Rishi Sunak’s government were to ditch the tax cuts …

UK cost-of-living woes stir push for more free school meals
2 years, 1 month ago

UK cost-of-living woes stir push for more free school meals

Associated Press  

BIRMINGHAM, England — As the school bell rings, dozens of children begin filing into the canteen at Hillstone Primary School. During the depths of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Food Foundation and soccer star Marcus Rashford persuaded Britain’s government to provide free meals to children in poverty over the school holidays. The Department of Education said the government understands …

No coats, no food – schoolchildren have time-travelled to Victorian Britain
2 years, 1 month ago

No coats, no food – schoolchildren have time-travelled to Victorian Britain

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Some 52 per cent of heads …

Children unable to afford lunch in more than half of state schools, survey says
2 years, 1 month ago

Children unable to afford lunch in more than half of state schools, survey says

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. It’s a scandal that in …

Will it take Marcus Rashford to force this dismal government to act over rising food prices?
2 years, 1 month ago

Will it take Marcus Rashford to force this dismal government to act over rising food prices?

The Independent  

Two-thirds of adults are worried about being able to afford Christmas dinner.” That statement relates to the contents of a survey commissioned by the Salvation Army, seeking to highlight the financial pressures people are under during what is traditionally seen as a time of joy. However, the cost of fresh food – the stuff we’re supposed to try to eat …

‘Generosity and dedication’: Low-earning school staff buying food for hungry pupils
2 years, 1 month ago

‘Generosity and dedication’: Low-earning school staff buying food for hungry pupils

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Its findings come as The Independent’s …

Two-thirds of MPs would back free school meals extension, poll finds
2 years, 1 month ago

Two-thirds of MPs would back free school meals extension, poll finds

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Rishi Sunak has come under increasing pressure to extend free school …

Free school meals criteria ‘always under review’, minister says
2 years, 1 month ago

Free school meals criteria ‘always under review’, minister says

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The criteria …

Families on free school meals face ‘patchwork’ support over October half-term
2 years, 2 months ago

Families on free school meals face ‘patchwork’ support over October half-term

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Struggling families …

Experts warn of major impact on children’s health without proper nutrition at school
2 years, 2 months ago

Experts warn of major impact on children’s health without proper nutrition at school

The Independent  

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Number of children arriving at school hungry on the rise, teachers warn
2 years, 2 months ago

Number of children arriving at school hungry on the rise, teachers warn

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The number of children arriving at school hungry has risen …

Health chief calls for free school meals for all to end ‘disturbing’ food poverty
2 years, 2 months ago

Health chief calls for free school meals for all to end ‘disturbing’ food poverty

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The government must offer all children free school meals to address …

It shouldn’t be left to chefs like me to feed hungry children
2 years, 2 months ago

It shouldn’t be left to chefs like me to feed hungry children

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy During the …

‘It’s too expensive to eat lunch and feed my children’: The rise of the school food bank
2 years, 2 months ago

‘It’s too expensive to eat lunch and feed my children’: The rise of the school food bank

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The food bank helps me get by.” Behind her stands Maryam, 38, also a …

Children face a hunger crisis – the government needs to act by providing more free school meals
2 years, 2 months ago

Children face a hunger crisis – the government needs to act by providing more free school meals

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The government should immediately prioritise the introduction of free school meals for the 800,000 …

The Independent is calling for free school meals for all children in poverty
2 years, 2 months ago

The Independent is calling for free school meals for all children in poverty

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. So it is with great pride …

Jamie Oliver says ‘children coming to school with empty lunchboxes’ in call free meals plea
2 years, 2 months ago

Jamie Oliver says ‘children coming to school with empty lunchboxes’ in call free meals plea

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Jamie Oliver …

Jamie Oliver denies being part of the ‘anti-growth coalition’
2 years, 2 months ago

Jamie Oliver denies being part of the ‘anti-growth coalition’

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Jamie Oliver has denied being part of the “anti-growth coalition” …

Hunger advocates want free school meals for all kids. It's tough sell in Congress
2 years, 4 months ago

Hunger advocates want free school meals for all kids. It's tough sell in Congress

NPR  

Hunger advocates want free school meals for all kids. It's tough sell in Congress Enlarge this image toggle caption Morgan Lee/AP Morgan Lee/AP When the government made school meals temporarily free to virtually all public school students in 2020, the intent was to buffer children and families from the spike in hunger and economic hardship caused by the pandemic. States …

Dinner lady forced to deny children school food because ‘there’s no money’
2 years, 4 months ago

Dinner lady forced to deny children school food because ‘there’s no money’

The Independent  

Sign up to our free Living Well email for advice on living a happier, healthier and longer life Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter Live your life healthier and happier with our free weekly Living Well newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. …

Families ‘face grim choices’ as summer holidays mean weeks without free school meals
2 years, 5 months ago

Families ‘face grim choices’ as summer holidays mean weeks without free school meals

The Independent  

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Minister recognises schools are ‘not immune’ from rising food costs
2 years, 6 months ago

Minister recognises schools are ‘not immune’ from rising food costs

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Mr Quince said the Government …

Sadiq Khan backs universal free school meals for primary school pupils
2 years, 6 months ago

Sadiq Khan backs universal free school meals for primary school pupils

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Please try again later {{ /verifyErrors }} Sadiq Khan has …

‘Four chips on a plate’: Boost school meal funding, ministers told, as children ‘getting smaller portions’
2 years, 6 months ago

‘Four chips on a plate’: Boost school meal funding, ministers told, as children ‘getting smaller portions’

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. I’m looking at cheaper alternatives.” A headteacher from North Yorkshire, Matt Davies, said that schools …

Children offer to buy food with their pocket money as cost of living mounts
2 years, 9 months ago

Children offer to buy food with their pocket money as cost of living mounts

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Forming healthy food relationships and managing budget effectively can be hard when “one’s childhood …

Millions of children will miss healthy school meals when pandemic relief expires
2 years, 9 months ago

Millions of children will miss healthy school meals when pandemic relief expires

NPR  

Millions of children will miss healthy school meals when pandemic relief expires Enlarge this image toggle caption Karen Ducey/Getty Images Karen Ducey/Getty Images When schools pivoted to virtual learning early in the pandemic, the National School Lunch Program was thrown into chaos. And as part of pandemic relief legislation, the federal Food and Nutrition services agency waived the requirement that …

Free school meals for all children can improve kids’ health
3 years, 5 months ago

Free school meals for all children can improve kids’ health

Salon  

Recognizing that millions of U.S. children are at risk of hunger, Maine and California have approved funding to offer free school meals to all students within their state. The Universal School Meals Program Act would provide free healthy meals and snacks to all children in public and nonprofit private schools regardless of income. When children return to schools in the …

Free school meals: Gavin Williamson ‘absolutely disgusted’ by poor standard of food parcels
3 years, 11 months ago

Free school meals: Gavin Williamson ‘absolutely disgusted’ by poor standard of food parcels

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Education secretary Gavin Williamson has said he was “absolutely disgusted” by …

Matt Hancock unable to say if he regrets voting against free school meals after now welcoming them, in uncomfortable interview
3 years, 11 months ago

Matt Hancock unable to say if he regrets voting against free school meals after now welcoming them, in uncomfortable interview

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Matt Hancock told the show’s co-hosts Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid that he was “really …

Hungry children didn’t drive this country into the ground – they deserve so much better than the meagre food parcels offered by our government
3 years, 11 months ago

Hungry children didn’t drive this country into the ground – they deserve so much better than the meagre food parcels offered by our government

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Midday assistants on furlough or poverty …

Child hunger should be more than an embarrassment to this government
3 years, 11 months ago

Child hunger should be more than an embarrassment to this government

The Independent  

Over the past decade, Conservative governments have moved on from denial to embarrassment when confronted with the evidence that children are going hungry in one of the richest countries in the world. They eventually had to accept reality and some ministers even visited food banks, but they insisted that child hunger was more complicated than simply the product of their …

‘My kids have gone hungry’: The parents struggling through the pandemic with free school meals parcels
3 years, 11 months ago

‘My kids have gone hungry’: The parents struggling through the pandemic with free school meals parcels

The Independent  

Get the free Morning Headlines email for news from our reporters across the world Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email Sign up to our free Morning Headlines email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The 41-year-old, from Kidsgrove in Staffordshire, was one of dozens who shared photos of …

Our Help The Hungry appeal has raised more than £10m – thank you for all your support
4 years ago

Our Help The Hungry appeal has raised more than £10m – thank you for all your support

The Independent  

Christmas is the traditional time to think of others, to give, and to offer thanks. So it is entirely appropriate for The Independent to thank its readers for their support in this year’s Help The Hungry appeal – and specifically for the £10m you have helped to raise. In March, as the terrifying scale of the coronavirus pandemic was becoming …

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