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Cost-of-living crisis: initiatives launched to provide children with free food

To support families with the cost-of-living crisis, Warburtons has teamed up with Morrisons to offer free crumpets to adults and children, while the Mayor of London has confirmed all primary pupils in London will receive free school meals.
Children and adults can 'ask for Ellen' at Morrison's cafes and receive free crumpets over the summer, PHOTO: MOJOFUEL
Children and adults can 'ask for Ellen' at Morrison's cafes and receive free crumpets over the summer, PHOTO: MOJOFUEL

Running from next week (Monday 17 July) until Sunday 12 August, or while stocks last, 200,000 portions of crumpets with butter and jam will be available to give to both adults and childcare at no cost when they ‘Ask for Ellen’ at any Morrisons Café.

The initiative is named after Warburtons’ founder, Ellen Warburton.

New research commissioned by The Warburtons Foundation, surveying 1,000 parents of school-aged children, found that 64 per cent of parents are worried about the increased costs of their child being at home for the summer.

Parents think the school holidays will cost them almost £200 extra over the six-week holiday due to childcare and family activities.

Jonathan Warburton, chairman of Warburtons, said, 'While the summer holidays offer a chance for families to enjoy time together, we know that the reality can be very different for many families.

 

'As the cost-of-living crisis continues to put pressure on household budgets we wanted to offer a little to support to families through the holidays. Being able to help families across the country is as important to us today as it was to Ellen Warburtons back in 1876.'

 

Free schools meals for children in London

It comes as the London Mayor, Sadiq Khan has confirmed all primary school children in the Capital will receive free meals for a year from September.

On to of the £135m in emergency funding for the free school meals, announced earlier this year, the Mayor has set aside an aditional £5m to act as contingency for any costs associated with delivery of the meals.

The move is expected to benefit up to 270,000 children from Year 3 – 6, saving families an average of £440 per year across the year.

All Children in Reception to Year 2 already receive free school meals, through the Government’s Universal Free Infant School Meals (UIFSM) scheme.

Currently, only households on universal credit earning less than £7,400 a year – after tax and not including benefits -receive free school meals from Year 3 to the end of primary school.

Under the one-off funding from the Mayor of London, boroughs are set to receive £2.65 per meal in funding - more than the £2.53 per meal they receive from the Government.

The new policy is designed to help families in the Capital struggling with the cost of living.