Marcus Rashford Successfully Pushes UK Govt. to Provide Free School Meals

Manchester United star Marcus Rashford succeeded in persuading the British government to continue a voucher program that helps children from low-income families receive free meals, per ESPN FC.

The program was slated to halt in July when the school year ends. The COVID-19 pandemic has placed an increased burden on families, however.

"About 5 million people in households with children have struggled to put food on the table each day during the coronavirus crisis, while a third of children on free school meals did not have adequate alternative options, according to estimates by the Food Foundation thinktank," the Guardian's Patrick Butler wrote.

Rashford shared a letter he had written to members of the UK parliament, recounting his family's financial hardship when he was growing up.

"My story to get here is all-too-familiar for families in England: my mum worked full-time, earning minimum wage to make sure we always had a good evening meal on the table," he wrote. "But it was not enough. The system was not built for families like mine to succeed, regardless of how hard my mum worked."

The UK government reversed its original position and announced Tuesday the program would carry on.

"I talked to Marcus Rashford today and congratulated him on his campaign which to be honest I only became aware of very recently, today—and I thank him for what he's done," Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, per the BBC. "Clearly free schools meals should generally apply in term time... but we have to understand the pressure that families are under right now."

Under the program, roughly 1.3 million students will be eligible to receive free meals this summer, based on the most recent calculation in January 2019.