Marcus Rashford - School Meals Vouchers Campaign

[WonkeyDonkey]

Noodle1982 said:

I applaud what he's doing but the parents shouldn't be having kids if they can't afford to feed them.

I agree that it's irresponsible for people to be having children when they are in no shape prepared for them.

It's hardly the child's fault that they have been born in to this situation. As a society making sure no children starves should be a basic responsibility. Heck, the rich get enough tax breaks to feed every child starving a Michelin stared meal every day til they are 18.

[mx5nut]

jimothyc said:

Free school meals aren't normally supplied during the school holidays

It's lucky that children don't need to eat when they're not at school, otherwise this situation would seem ridiculous.

[mx5nut]

Voldemort said:

jimothyc said:

Maybe I don't understand the issue properly here. But my understanding is that to qualify for free school meals you need to be in receipt of benefits.

Free school meals aren't normally supplied during the school holidays and the payment of benefits hasn't been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. So why should free school meals continue to be provided during holiday time?

While I appreciate that the cost of providing them is peanuts compared to the furlough scheme. What's the special situation that demands them in this case?

Because 1 starving child is too many.

This is all that should need to be said.

The "let's take care of our own first" mob that pop up in discussions about foreign aid are notable by their absence.

[mx5nut]

bhstewie said:

Anyone think we may see a reverse ferret from the Government on this one?

Even Ferrari on LBC this morning saying the government are on the wrong side of this one.

[i4got]

Voldemort said:

jimothyc said:

Maybe I don't understand the issue properly here. But my understanding is that to qualify for free school meals you need to be in receipt of benefits.

Free school meals aren't normally supplied during the school holidays and the payment of benefits hasn't been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. So why should free school meals continue to be provided during holiday time?

While I appreciate that the cost of providing them is peanuts compared to the furlough scheme. What's the special situation that demands them in this case?

Because 1 starving child is too many.

The point being that he child's food and other requirements are already catered for within the benefit package the family receive.

Or are you saying that if the family chose to spend elsewhere and allow the child to go undernourished then its up to the rest of us to pick up the slack.

I can certainly understand and appreciate that viewpoint but I don't see many of the parents calling for the additional food vouchers, declaring that they are spending their child's food money elsewhere.

Edited by i4got on Tuesday 16th June 11:21

[Digga]

V88Dicky said:

s1962a said:

V88Dicky said:

s1962a said:

Remember free milk we used to get at schools? Probably showing my age there.

Yep. In 1/3 Pint bottles, silver top too. Mmmm

Yeah the little glass bottles with plastic straws. They used to come into the classroom in their own little crates too. Good times!

They weren't much fun on a boiling hot June day in the late 70's though!

All binned because of some hugely misguided fad for providing kids with "low fat" food.

(Clearly many of us are the same vintage here.)

[Brave Fart]

Surely there's an opportunity for the government here? They have already said things about school holiday clubs, so why not fund lunch clubs at schools, together with volunteer teachers on hand for some extra help with Maths and English, reading skills, all that. They could even get local Premier League clubs to join in as part of their community outreach programmes.
It would cost next to nothing and might even do some good.

[snuffy]

V88Dicky said:

They weren't much fun on a boiling hot June day in the late 70's though!

I can recall they when they'd been out in the school playground and covered in snow - lovely.

And also when sat in the playground with the sun beating down on them - more like a small bottle of warm sick.

[Mafffew]

mx5nut said:

bhstewie said:

Anyone think we may see a reverse ferret from the Government on this one?

Even Ferrari on LBC this morning saying the government are on the wrong side of this one.

Don't expect the Government to u-turn until they can find a way to spin it to their advantage.

[mx5nut]

Noodle1982 said:

I applaud what he's doing but the parents shouldn't be having kids if they can't afford to feed them.

You sound like one of the lucky ones who never has their circumstances change in 18 years.

Remember that not everyone has life as easy as you.

[valiant]

Noodle1982 said:

I applaud what he's doing but the parents shouldn't be having kids if they can't afford to feed them.

What if they could afford them and ‘st happens’ and they can no longer?

They’re not all feckless, Daily Mail baiting parents. Relationships break down, one parent leaves without acknowledging their financial responsibilities to the other, jobs are lost, etc, etc.

For relatively little money (compared to what we’re spending now) this could bring some welcome good publicity for Boris and the government, a win all round. God knows he needs it.

[JagLover]

dodgyviper said:

Kudos to Rashford for this - good work.

It is an uphill battle, which will be abused, however, we cannot tolerate a situation whereby some children go hungry because others abuse the system.

The fault here is in the policing of it - an area which is woeful.

A school locally stopped giving out vouchers when it was found (on Facebook) that some parents were describing how they were saving up the vouchers for Christmas. That school stopped the vouchers and simply fed the kids direct - essentially giving the vouchers to themselves.

What they should have done, is report it to the authorities and leave it at that. Unfortunately the authorities were useless and so the school had to act on it themselves.

Apparently the head got a load of abuse from parents for it.

Scum is scum, but never is that an excuse to not feed a hungry child

Which is the problem really

Feckless people have children and then society has to decide how best to ensure the welfare of the children concerned. If the scheme is extended into the summer why would it not be extended into every summer?. The amount received in benefits is the same regardless of whether there is Coronavirus or not.

Some celebrity campaigns for some issue or another but that doesn't tackle the fundamental divide between the tens of billions being spent on welfare and what is received by the children themselves.

[Bill]

i4got said:

Or are you saying that if the family chose to spend elsewhere and al the child to go undernourished then its up to the rest of us to pick up the slack.

How about a bit of thinking ahead.

Malnourished children don't develop as well. Which means they do worse at school and are less likely to be healthy as adults. Which ultimately means they are more likely to need benefits in the future.

So we could punish the kids for the failings and misfortune of their parents, cutting our nose to spite our face.

Or we could try to break the cycle and give them a fighting chance.

[mickyh7]

In the whole scheme of things it will cost fk all to feed these kids for a few weeks.
It's not their fault anway. They were just born.
Very soon, some very cocky people are going to be in a whole world of st, they never expected to be in.
Lets watch the attitudes change then!
I've already emailed my local MP with my feelings.
They are in power because we voted them in.
That cost me nothing.
The Footballer is a big voice.
Fortunately people are hearing it.
Watch out for a U turn soon.

[Evercross]

crankedup said:

Damaging the Government when a ‘personality’ brings a Socially unacceptable situation to wide public attention. Totally unacceptable that kids are still going hungry in our Country.

I know it is a cliche, but how many of these kids going hungry live in a household that has pet dogs, or a parent with a £50+ mobile phone contract? There absolutely is a problem, but blanket coverage of the issue just leads to a blind eye being turned to the real problem which is parents who prioritise other things above their own children's welfare, and suddenly becomes the state's problem thus vindicating the choices of the parents and giving them an excuse to continue their neglect.

I work in education and I see it frequently - neglected kids yet their parents are wearing £150 shoes and carrying the latest iPhone.

By all means feed the kids, but scrutinise the parents for reasons why the kids are hungry in the first place. This is not a societal problem, it is a behavioural one.

Edited by Evercross on Tuesday 16th June 11:27

[Fatball]

A local primary school has been providing boxes of fresh food that can be collected weekly. Most have rotted before anyone come to collect them. If it was McDonald’s vouchers they’d have been queuing around the block.

Funnily enough, the people not collecting the boxes are the same ones who never get the kids to school on time and when they do get there the mother looks like she’s been shot with a clown gun.

There’s something wrong if you don’t have food to feed your children, get offered free food and don’t take it.

[mx5nut]

rustyuk said:

My Mrs did some volunteering at my sons old primary school before free meals for all were introduced. She has paid for more than one lunch for the kids there.

The school amazingly refused to feed some of the children as their parents simply never paid and had large debts. From what I understand a few children just stopped asking and stayed outside all lunch. The meals were £2 a day.

Heartbreaking really!

The only people who would be against feeding these children are those who can not imagine them or their loved ones ending up in this situation.

When did this country lose it's empathy?

[mx5nut]

bhstewie said:

V8covin said:

It's a bit rich when a multi millionaire footballer on what,£200,000 a week..... it's an incredible amount of money,it really is...... lectures the government.
How about he gets together with all his millionaire footballing friends to make a donation if he thinks so strongly about it.

I believe he's raised £20M so far.

I'm not sure it's for footballers to ensure kids don't go hungry in 2020 is it?

Francois de La Rochefoucauld said:

You're correct. It's their parents.

Let's punish children for their parents being out of work during a global pandemic. Britain in 2020.

[Evercross]

mx5nut said:

The only people who would be against feeding these children are those who can not imagine them or their loved ones ending up in this situation.

"Think of the children" (and ignore the possibility it is the parents who put them in the situation).

[sugerbear]

untakenname said:

I may be in the minority but I don't see why parents should expect other taxpayers to support their kids?
imo if you can't afford them then don't have them it's the equivalent of buying a high maintenance car and not only expecting others to pay for the servicing but also the fuel.

Those families on free school meals will also be getting income in the form housing benefits and an assortment of other gifts as well so should be able to feed their own children

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-tax-trap-w...

Im of the same opinion about corporate welfare but the government seems awfully keen on that. So while they are happy that business don't go under they are quite happy to see children go hungry. The children are NOT able to work and provide for themselves so why should they suffer.