Today, (13th September), Love, Amelia was honored to host the National Education Union (NEU) on their national tour advocating for Free School Meals for All.
The campaign, which has seen passionate support from communities and schools, calls for every child to have access to hot, nutritious meals at school, ensuring no child goes hungry in the classroom.
The NEU’s national tour kicked off with a major rally in July at Parliament Square, Westminster.
This month, their campaign van is travelling across cities, including Sunderland, Leeds, Coventry, Birmingham, York, and Liverpool. The NEU aims to bring this powerful message directly to the Prime Minister at the Labour Party Conference, highlighting just how essential this movement is to families, schools, and communities nationwide.
During their stop in Sunderland, the NEU team visited Lambton Primary School in Washington before coming to Love, Amelia. We were joined by Amanda Bailey (Director, North East Child Poverty Commission), Beth Farhart (Chair, North East Child Poverty Commission), and Children North East, who stand united in the call to end child hunger in our schools.
At Love, Amelia, we witness the difficult choices families face daily due to poverty. The lack of access to nutritious meals impacts every aspect of a child’s well-being and learning.
Reports show that one in five schools are now running food banks, and last term alone, one in four teachers brought food for hungry students.
We are proud to support this campaign and have joined the open letter to the Prime Minister, urging him to expand free school meal provisions. It’s time we make free, healthy school meals accessible to every child, setting them up for success and focusing on learning, not hunger.
