Marcus Rashford launches new child poverty project – find help in your area
MARCUS Rashford has launched a new child poverty project – here’s where to find help in your area. The Manchester United and England striker who has campaigned for free school meal vouches this year has teamed up with Child Food Poverty Taskforce to stop kids going hungry over Christmas. Rashford’s campaign this year secured two screeching U-turns […]
MARCUS Rashford has launched a new child poverty project – here’s where to find help in your area.
The Manchester United and England striker who has campaigned for free school meal vouches this year has teamed up with Child Food Poverty Taskforce to stop kids going hungry over Christmas.
Rashford’s campaign this year secured two screeching U-turns from the Government who eventually agreed to help support vulnerable children over the holidays and give them meal vouchers.
And he vowed to “fight for the rest of my life for it, because in my mind, no child should ever go hungry in the United Kingdom”.
Now, Marcus, 23, has launched a website with End Child Food Poverty, which has an interactive map to easily show people where they can go for help.
Councils, food banks, schools, charities and other businesses offering food support have all signed up to the website, so they can reach more families over the winter.
It also pulls together information and links to direct people to their local council for help after the Government announce £170million would be handed out to councils to help look after families struggling to feed their kids.
The website also contains information on how people can offer support, either through donating money or volunteering.
The map was done with Co-op and Google, who have both pitched in with Rashford’s campaign to stop kids going hungry.
Marcus said: “Following the Government investment, it was important to me that we supported by communicating on the help available in local areas, working closely with Local Authorities, so that our vulnerable families know where to turn when faced with the toughest winter on record.
“In partnership with Co-op and Google, we have developed a central hub for those who need help and those who want to help.
“That second function was really important to me – everyone has a role to play in ending child food poverty in the UK and we wanted to support those who want to make a difference.
“There is still so much more to be done but the least children deserve this year, after loss and disruption, is a Christmas dinner on the table.”
And Rashford isn’t the only celeb pitching to make sure kids aren’t going hungry.
Dame Emma Thomas has taken part in a series of podcasts recorded for the Food Foundation, which spoke to people volunteering at food banks – and families desperately trying to get food on the table.