Kate Winslet and Olivia Colman join calls for free school meals for primary kids
Hollywood stars Olivia Colman, Kate Winslet and singer Ed Sheeran have led calls for the Government to give free school meals to all primary school kids.
A host of well known faces today throw their weight behind the Mirror's push for 'Free School Meals for All' to end child hunger and boost children's life chances by ensuring they get a nutritious hot dinner. Succession star Brian Cox and Fleabag's Phoebe Waller-Bridge joined pop star Dua Lipa and chefs Nadiya Hussain, Tom Kerridge, Thomasina Miers and Yotam Ottenlenghi in signing an open letter to Rishi Sunak calling for an end to the child hunger "epidemic".
More than 4 million children were living in homes without proper access to food last year, where families reported skipping meals, eating less, or going hungry all day, according to the Food Foundation. But the Tories have resisted calls to widen provision to help cash-strapped families already grappling with spiralling food and fuel bills.
You can sign the open letter to the Prime Minister here.
Hollywood star Kate Winslet signed the letter to the Prime Minister (Mike Marsland/WireImage)
Singer Ed Sheeran backed the calls (Penske Media via Getty Images)The letter, also signed by writer Armando Iannuci and presenter Konnie Huq, said: "We are writing to urge you to extend Free School Meal provision to every primary school child in England. We are living through the greatest cost of living crisis in a generation, and too many families with young children are being pulled into poverty.
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"Free school meals for every child will put money back in parents’ pockets. That’s money they can use to pay for other essentials for their children, from heating and food at home to hobbies and after-school clubs. Teachers and support staff see the difference a healthy school dinner makes. When children are hungry, they can’t learn. It’s hard for them to concentrate and harder for them to reach their potential. Free School Meals for all would mean every child can learn and succeed."
Under current rules, children in state schools in England can claim free school meals up to the end of Year 2. After that, they are eligible only if their parent or carer receives certain benefits. Households on Universal Credit only qualify if their income is less than just £7,400 from work.
An estimated 900,000 school age children who live in poverty already miss out due to strict eligibility rules, according to the Child Poverty Action Group.
Universal free school meals in primary schools would cost around £1billion a year, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies. Some schools would also need to invest in expanding their kitchens and dining areas. By contrast, it would cost around £7billion a year to scrap inheritance tax for the very wealthiest Brits, which Mr Sunak is reportedly considering. The controversial Rwanda deportation scheme is expected to cost an eye-watering £169,000 per person.
Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain said: "As a chef and mum of three I know how important food is for kids. Not just to help them grow and learn, but as a source of joy and connection. That’s what every child should have, and that’s why I’m supporting the campaign for Free School Meals for All."
Writer Neil Gaiman, who funds breakfast clubs in several Scottish schools, said: "It breaks my heart that there are kids who are going to have to go through the whole day without food. We can change that."
Comedian James Acaster said: "The time I spent in school taught me it’s a pretty terrible idea trying to teach kids who haven’t had a decent lunch. I’m supporting the No Child Left Behind campaign because every child should have a hot, healthy school dinner, every day."
Masterchef winner Thomasina Miers, who founded the Wahaca chain of Mexican restaurants, said: "Isn't it absurdly obvious that better food in schools is the very bedrock of setting children up to eat well and have a positive relationship with delicious - and sustainable - food?"
NEU General Secretary Daniel Kebede said: "Free School Meals for All would equip our pupils with healthy food and fuel for learning, and ease the pressure for every family. "People from all walks of life, many of whom have seen the benefits of Free School Meals themselves, are asking Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer to show moral leadership and back the call for an extension to every primary school child.”
More than two million children in England were eligible for free school meals in January, according to the latest Government figures. Nearly one in four (23.8%) state school pupils qualified for school dinners - up from 1.9 million (22.5%) in 2022 and 1.4 million (17.3%) before the pandemic began in 2020.
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A Government spokesperson said: “Over a third of pupils in England now receive free school meals in education settings, compared with one in six in 2010 and we have extended eligibility several times to more groups of children than any other government over the past half a century. This includes introducing new eligibility criteria for families receiving Universal Credit, to ensure even more children were eligible for a free school meal. We’re providing record financial support worth an average £3,300 per household. We have also raised benefits in line with inflation, increased the National Living Wage and are helping households with food, energy and other essential costs.”
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