AN interactive map pinpointing exactly where hungry families in the North-East and North Yorkshire can pick up free meals during half term has been launched.
The All of Us Together map, inspired by Marcus Rashford's free school meals campaign, includes names, addresses and opening times of community hubs, schools and restaurants that are offering free meals to those in need.
The map comes as grassroots organisations and businesses step up to provide food after the government said it would not extend free school meals to cover holidays.
The free school meals campaign, led by the Manchester footballer who has been given a City of Manchester Award for the initiative, has gripped the nation.
The City of Manchester Award recognises Mr Rashford's "outstanding and exceptional contribution to the city".
Many families receive free school meals and are facing increasing hardship as people continue to lose work as a result of Covid, with further uncertainty ahead as tighter lockdown restrictions for the region loom.
Meanwhile, a campaign petition started by Mr Rashford has reached a million signatures.
Let’s take a second to remember that a lot of families in need will not have access to the internet. They can’t sign petitions or scroll down my twitter. Their voices cannot be heard so we have to use ours to communicate on all of this amazing local help. Thank you all ♥️
— Marcus Rashford MBE (@MarcusRashford) October 28, 2020
Dozens of councils in England – many of them Tory led – have taken matters into their own hands by paying for food out of their budgets, while hundreds of businesses have stepped up to help out.
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