Council extends free school meals during holidays for rest of academic year

County Hall has set aside £500,000 to meet the cost of the initiative at the Christmas, half-term and Easter breaks, for the 12,000 children and young people who qualify.

The move follows a campaign by England and Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford to ask the government to extend free school meals for a sustained period after lockdown to help struggling families.

County council leader, Nick Rushton, said: “Times are still tough – and we simply can’t have children going hungry during the pandemic.

“So we’re stepping up to plug the gap and help thousands of families who need support.

“Our schools have already had their half-term but we’re committing funding for the rest of this school year.

“Not only is this the right thing to do, it underlines our commitment to providing the help and support our children and families need.”

Details of the scheme are being finalised.