‘Say Yes’ to free school meals for all.

A new national campaign Say ‘Yes!’ to free school meals for all, aims to unite the nation behind a vision of ending means testing of children in school for food. It is being launched on International School Meals Day with the premiere of a short film starring children of Sacred Heart RC Primary School, Battersea. In addition to the young stars, attendees will hear from local MP Marsha de Cordova and other leaders.

Marsha de Cordova

Marsha de Cordova

London, Scotland and Wales are all currently rolling out universal free school meals in primary schools during 2023-24. The evidence shows that the best health, educational and economic impact school meals can have is when they are provided universally. This is why we are asking people across the UK to call for equity in provision from the government.

We are asking citizens from across the nation to pledge their support for expanding quality school meals across the whole country by 2030: free of charge, free of stigma. A brand new interactive map at www.schoolfoodforall.org  will invite individuals, organisations, councils, MPs and businesses to show their support and Say Yes. This is in the face of a government failing to act despite massive public support.

The launch event is being coordinated by the Children’s Food Campaign and School Food Matters, and will reveal the breadth of support across the nation for free school meals for all.

You can find more information and evidence about the many benefits of free school meals here

Jared Brading, Executive Headteacher, Federation of Sacred Heart & St Mary’s RC Primary Schools, Battersea, LB Wandsworth said:

“Hot, healthy school meals are so important to children and their families. We see the results of a quality lunch in the classroom: better fed children become better performing pupils. After the brilliant news that the Mayor of London will fund school meals for all children in London primary schools, it would be great to see this vital support extended further. This is why the children of Sacred Heart have starred in this film, because here we say ‘yes’ to free school meals for all.”

Barbara Crowther, Children’s Food Campaign Co-ordinator at Sustain, said:

“Children have to be in school all day, for 190 days a year, and we know nutrition is as essential for good learning and concentration as providing books, desks and chairs. So why do we insist on means testing children before offering food in school? We don’t impose means testing on meals for patients in hospital, or even prisoners in prison. But we do this to our children. It’s time to unite behind a fully inclusive, modern education system, similar to a growing number of countries around the world that now provide school food for all, regardless of background, as an investment in the health, attainment and future prosperity of the nation.”

 

Stephanie Slater, Founder/ Chief Executive of School Food Matters, said: 

“Too many children are missing out on the nutrition they need to thrive. Quality school food has so many benefits. It boosts children’s health and attainment, it gives confidence to parents, who know that their children are well-nourished and ready to learn, and it supports the local economy offering employment opportunities and a market for local producers. It makes no sense to us to means test children for food in school: we do not talk about ‘free school teachers’ or ‘free school footballs’! It’s time to say ‘yes’ to free school meals for all.”

The introduction of universal free school meals is the leading ask of the School Food Review Working Group.

Research by Child Poverty Action Group revealed that one in three children living in poverty in England are currently not eligible for a free school meal.  This is because of the government’s draconian eligibility criteria, which require families to be in receipt of universal credit and have a total household income below £7,400 per year.

Local authorities in the London Boroughs of Islington, Newham, Southwark, Tower Hamlets and Westminster already fund school meals for all their primary school pupils. Tower Hamlets is going even further and planning free secondary school meals from this September, an initiative already piloted in Hammersmith and Fulham.

Book your FREE Tickets today! Battersea Charities Week

Have you ever wanted to get better at fundraising, recruit and retain volunteers, get your Board of Trustees working more effectively or tell your story more persuasively? Then attend the free events taking place across Battersea Charities Week. Get your free tickets here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/battersea-charities-week-batterseatogether-tickets-62249589197 Book them now as places are limited!

Battersea Charities Week (24-29 June) is for anyone who works or volunteers for a charity, social enterprise, faith group or community organisation for the benefit of local people and the communities in Battersea. It’s a week at the end of June to celebrate the amazing work we all do, by strengthening our relationships with each other, sharing our skills and learning from one another. We hope it will build partnerships and raise the profile of charities and community groups working to rebuild the social fabric of the community in Battersea.

Battersea Charities Week has been organised and is being delivered by local community voluntary sector groups and individuals. Together we’re running a variety of fun and engaging activities, events and trainings, across 6 themed days (including partnerships, funding and volunteering), during 24-29th June 2019, at venues across Battersea, culminating in the Falcon Road Festival on Saturday 29th June

For FREE tickets to the events register here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/battersea-charities-week-batterseatogether-tickets-62249589197

 

If you have any questions or thoughts then please do get in touch with us on batterseacharitiesweek@gmail.com

BREXIT – a new online advice guide and crowdfunding campaign.

A Battersea resident’s NGO, Here for Good, has launched a new online advice guide and crowdfunding campaign.

Here for Good (http://hereforgoodlaw.org/) was set up to provide free immigration advice to European nationals and their family members living in the UK post-Brexit. It was co-founded by two law graduates – Isabella Mosselmans who is a Battersea resident and her friend, Tahmid Chowdhury.

Together with two leading immigration public law firms, Wesley Gryk LLP and Bindmands LLP, Here for Good has produced a new online advice guide to provide up-to-date and detailed information to European nationals and their family members about their current and future status in the UK. This Guide aims empower European nationals and let them know their rights. (https://hereforgoodguide.com/)

Isabella and Tahmid said: “European nationals deserve certainty and security from the country they call home. This guide begins to do that for them, and as a charity we will continue to strive to make sure that they can stay here for good.”

Co-author of the Guide, Liz Barratt, a partner and joint head of immigration at Bindmans, was recently named Immigration Lawyer of the Year by The Best Lawyer’s Directory. She said: “I hope people find our Guide helpful and that individuals will be able to support the important work of Here for Good.”

The charity has also launched a CrowdJustice Campaign to help it hire caseworkers across the country who can provide free legal advice to the most vulnerable EU citizens and their families.

Co-founder and Battersea-resident, Isabella Mosselmans, said “We have just over 2 weeks to reach our fundraising target of £25,000. This will be enough to employ one fully qualified caseworker for a year, who will change the lives of hundreds of families. We ask that people donate and share our CrowdJustice page as widely as possible. With your support, we can help European citizens stay Here for Good.”

To donate, please visit: https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/here-for-good/