Thousands of children going without free school meals

 AP

The Children's Society has warned that large numbers of children in poverty are missing out on free school meals.

The charity found that in 57 constituencies across England, more than six in 10 children in poverty were not getting a free school meal.

The constituencies of Horsham, and Bognor Regis and Littlehampton both had the highest proportion of children missing out on the free school meal at 69%.

They were followed closely by Mitcham and Morden, and Arundel and South Downs at 68%.  

Only 22 of England's 533 constituencies had fewer than 10% of children in poverty missing out on free school meals.

Children's Society warned that that once parents had paid for school meals, they were left struggling to provide other basic necessities for their children, like school shoes and home heating.

In a survey of teachers by the charity, nearly half said they often saw children going hungry in school.  Children's Society said the free school lunch could be the only proper meal in the day for a child of poverty.

It is calling on the government to make free school meals available to all children in poverty.

Matthew Reed, our Chief Executive, said: "It is shocking that huge numbers of children in poverty across the country are missing out on a free school meal. Every child in poverty should be entitled to this vital support.

"We know from the families we work with up and down the country that parents are struggling to make ends meet.

"Right now, the government is reconsidering which children will be entitled to get free school meals.

"We urge the government to take this opportunity to make sure all children in poverty can get a free school meal."

News
Buddhism declines worldwide as ageing and disaffiliation take their toll, Pew study finds
Buddhism declines worldwide as ageing and disaffiliation take their toll, Pew study finds

Buddhism was the only major world faith to record a decline between 2010 and 2020.

Scotland: Eleventh hour plea to MSPs to reject assisted suicide
Scotland: Eleventh hour plea to MSPs to reject assisted suicide

Bishop John Keenan, President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, is urging members of the Scottish Parliament to think of the vulnerable and vote against assisted suicide. 

Archbishop of Canterbury to embark on historic six-day pilgrimage
Archbishop of Canterbury to embark on historic six-day pilgrimage

The Archbishop of Canterbury will undertake a six-day pilgrimage before she is installed as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury later this month. 

Baptist seminary provides refuge to people displaced in Lebanon
Baptist seminary provides refuge to people displaced in Lebanon

The Arab Baptist Theological Seminary near Beirut is sheltering displaced people who fled their homes as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah forces hundreds of thousands of civilians across Lebanon to seek refuge.