Zayn Malik has written a heartfelt letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, requesting that he assist more poor children in receiving free school meals, possibly because he also relied on free school meals as a child.
The singer expressed his concern that children are going hungry as a result of the cost of living crisis and urged the newly-appointed Prime Minister to broaden the net so that all children from Universal Credit families can access free school meals.
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Zayn, 29, said children “are suffering from lack of concentration, some even resorting to stealing food from school canteens because they are so hungry but can’t afford to buy lunch”.
“They are also feeling shame which is directly impacting their physical and mental health,” Zayn wrote while noting that he knows what that shame feels like, as growing up in Bradford, he relied on free school meals. “I personally experienced the stigma surrounding food insecurity.”
It’s believed that up to 800,000 children in England do not benefit from free school meals despite living in poverty.
Zayn pointed out that extending the current threshold so that all children from families on Universal Credit could access free school meals “would stop children from enduring the worst of the cost of living crisis which in turn only creates bigger divides between the richest and poorest”.
He opined that free school meals “are such a big help for the poorest children in our society and they guarantee a reliably hot, nutritious lunch every day at school, so children can thrive rather than worrying about where their next meal comes from”.
Zayn Malik has actively called on the government to do “what’s right and make the changes that are needed” because parents “are already doing everything they can. As Prime Minister, you have the power to change this.”
The singer also advised the new Prime Minister to commit in his November 17 Budget to give all children living in poverty a free school meal. “Children going hungry is not inevitable and should not come down to a political issue or ideology,” he added.
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The father of one extended the invitation to his fans, asking them to write to their MPs to demand action. He explained “The work the Food Foundation do to tackle child food poverty is close to my heart, as I too was one of the children in the UK that relied on programs to ensure I was able to eat.
“I want Government to act urgently to ensure that children no longer have to suffer the trauma and stigma of hunger and poverty and can grow up to have healthy and productive lives.”
The post Zayn Malik Wants Rishi Sunak To Help More Children Living In Poverty appeared first on SurgeZirc UK.
