Free school meals scheme to run in Easter holidays

As reported by the BBC, a free school meals scheme is to be run in East Yorkshire during the Easter holidays, councillors have heard

East Riding of Yorkshire Council will fund the scheme using cash left over from money to help households. Confirmation of the supermarket voucher scheme came as councillors heard at least 8,050 children in the county received free school meals in December, up from 6,700 in 2021. Children’s director Eoin Rush said that figure was expected to rise further.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, Mr Rush told a cabinet meeting the increase was due in part to the council writing to eligible families who were not already enrolled on the free school meals programme. The supermarket vouchers were first given to families whose children received free school meals during holidays in 2020, following a campaign by England footballer Marcus Rashford. The £10 vouchers, rising to £20 at Christmas, were part of the council’s Holiday Activities and Food Programme, which will now also run during Easter.

Councillor Victoria Aitken said the continuation of funding was a positive step for families on the free school meals programme. The council’s draft budget proposes ring-fencing funding for the vouchers in the coming financial year.