Following the Government announcement that they will not be extending a school meal voucher scheme, Richmond Council is developing a Covid19 half term food support package for vulnerable children, meaning that children from the borough's lowest income families don't go hungry over the schools' break.

Earlier this week, MPs voted against a proposal to make free school meals available outside term time for the next six months.

With half-term about to commence, Achieving for Children will run a food voucher scheme to address the pressing issue of local hard-pressed and vulnerable families in the borough not being able to cover the cost of meals during the school holiday.

Guidance will be launched early next week to let eligible families know how they can collect their voucher.

Cllr Robin Brown, Finance and Resources Lead Member for Richmond Council, said:

"In these unprecedented times, I am very concerned to be doing all we can to help lower income families and their children who are really struggling due to the impact of the virus.

"It beggars belief that the Government have failed to address this issue.

"Yet again hard-pressed local authorities are coming to the rescue. We have happily set aside the funding that's needed to ensure children from some of our poorest families don't go hungry this half term, and we will also look to extend the scheme over the Christmas period."