Contribute to the Week of Action to win Free School Meals for All
Last year, over four million children lived in households that went short of food. Scotland and Wales are in the process of extending Free School Meals to every child in primary school. London will fund it for one year. But this Government is keeping children in the rest of the country pointlessly waiting.
The Week of Action between 24-30 June is a major opportunity to mobilise together as a coalition, in our communities and across our networks, and dial up pressure on the Government and MPs to pass the Free School Meals for All Bill in England.
There's many ways to take part and share your experiences and expertise. Whether you're a councillor, frontline staff, young person, campaigner, faith leader, educator, health professional or bring another perspective, everyone has something to contribute to this collective effort.
United, we can build a powerful case for extending Free School Meals that's impossible to ignore – and show that is the right thing to do for children's learning, for their health and for their future.
See the planned activities below. Please let us know using the form how your group or organisation can take part. A member of our campaign team will be in touch with more information and resources to follow.
Agenda
| WEEKEND - 24-25 June | Faith focus: we will provide toolkits for faith leaders to hold a prayer that gets at the heart of the moral case for why we need Free School Meals for All and encourage congregations to write to their local MPs or co-sign the open letter in support of this campaign. |
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| MONDAY - 26 June | Education focus: this day will centre on two actions. First: coffee mornings where parents and carers can watch the video, discuss the issue together and sign up to support the campaign. We’ll provide a toolkit including a film and speaking points. For educators, we’ll have lesson plans to encourage pupils and teachers to host an assembly or form-time about this demand. |
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| TUESDAY - 27 June | Health focus: we are scoping an opportunity to poll and release findings from the medical community about health challenges children face and how Free School Meals for All could help address these. Health practitioners will lead the call for this demand in the press. | |
| WEDNESDAY - 28 June | Inequality focus: In collaboration with Big Issue Magazine, we will reveal a spread in their papers about Free School Meals for All, reaching new readers with our message. | |
| THURSDAY - 29 June | Open letter hand-in to 10 Downing: we’re taking our joint open letter and public petition to the Prime Minister. This will be a major moment, with an event and speakers outside the gates of No 10 and a smaller delegation handing in the printed materials. We encourage every organisation who has signed the open letter to send someone to attend. Let's share in this moment together. |
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| FRIDAY - 30 June | Food focus: we’ll publicise interviews and photo diaries with schools doing incredible and innovative work around nutrition and healthy eating - running programmes that understand why food is part and parcel of a great education. |
