Coronavirus and football.

[Geoff Parkstone]

I think maybe Rashford 1 Government 0 (HT) is a better assessment

[ramAnag]

I think maybe Rashford 1 Government 0 (HT) is a better assessment

Really? Seems like a complete U-turn that he’s played a significant part in to me. Why HT?

[Geoff Parkstone]

until its September, I'm in the "believe it when I see it" camp

I must admit Im rather puzzled as to how you can get free school meals when not at school thought - are the school can****s opened for particular needy group of children - or is it just some dosh handed out that the parents can spend on beer and fags?

[ramAnag]

until its September, I'm in the "believe it when I see it" camp

I must admit Im rather puzzled as to how you can get free school meals when not at school thought - are the school can****s opened for particular needy group of children - or is it just some dosh handed out that the parents can spend on beer and fags?

Food parcels or vouchers I believe.

Around the beginning of lockdown and at Easter the school cante-en was open at my daughter’s school, but it became unviable because too many ‘vulnerable’ children - those who the ‘service’ was aimed at - failed to turn up.

Make of that what you will...and I’m sure you will.

[Trickytreesreds]

My sister works in a Derby school. Parents complained that the meals were too simple and demanded a bigger choice. This was whilst dropping them off in a 4x4, then picking them up.

I've nothing against the voucher thing and there should be something in place for vulnerable kids to get a meal. But why school out of hours?
Slash the £15 billion foreign aid bill and a coupon book would wash all this away.
I wonder what the cost is, of getting staff to come in/make, prepare food/ energy bills etc against the cost of coupon allowance?

[AdiSalisbury]

Because we all need a meal whilst watching the match on Saturday.

[Geoff Parkstone]

Food parcels or vouchers I believe.

Around the beginning of lockdown and at Easter the school cante-en was open at my daughter’s school, but it became unviable because too many ‘vulnerable’ children - those who the ‘service’ was aimed at - failed to turn up.

Make of that what you will...and I’m sure you will.

This all sounds depressingly familiar to overseas aid not getting to the people it's targeted at....

If vulnerable kids don't turn up for a free meal, just how vulnerable can they be? Or is it all a ploy for getting cash equivalents instead for the aforementioned beer n fags

[MadAmster]

Yes, the kids get a voucher of sorts. No idea what it looks like. Probably nothing like my ration book from way back when.

[Manofpride]

Everybody wants everything for nothing, are folk really that destitute,perhaps the odd few? They all seem to have smart phones, 4k TV and booze on tap! If it's free jump on the bandwagon and collect! I'm sure there are a good few folk on here who were grateful for a helping hand when times fell tough but we'd appreciate any kind of help, to be given a pair of hand me down shoes without a hole, or your older brothers trousers with patches that you had to grow into. Would any of your kids now accept hand me downs? I don't think so! I've seen many a queue at a jumble sale that's were my school uniform came from! thinking about it, I was the only Japanese general in our class!

[ramAnag]

This all sounds depressingly familiar to overseas aid not getting to the people it's targeted at....

If vulnerable kids don't turn up for a free meal, just how vulnerable can they be? Or is it all a ploy for getting cash equivalents instead for the aforementioned beer n fags

Acknowledge the difficulty and the problem, but the bottom line is...this is about the vulnerability of children. The fact that a number of parents are part of the self perpetuating cycle of inadequacy (or worse) is a slightly different issue.
Many, who - like you and I - have only ever known the gift of good parenting may struggle to understand how dependent poor or neglected children may be on the food provided by breakfast clubs and school dinners.
If food is provided through non contact time on school sites there is still the problem of getting children there and the expense of opening up school catering facilities, hence the voucher/food parcel strategy.

Still applaud Marcus Rashford’s efforts and still shocked that our leaders needed this pointing out to them by a footballer.
Love MoP’s ‘Japanese General’ image.