McDONALD’S PARTNERS WITH MARCUS RASHFORD TO #ENDCHILDFOODPOVERTY

Today, McDonald’s has signed up to join England star Marcus Rashford’s Child Food Poverty Task Force to end child food poverty.

By partnering with the Manchester United striker, McDonald’s has endorsed the following three policy recommendations of the National Food Strategy the help identify a long-term solution to child food poverty in the UK;

·         Expansion of free school meals to every child from a household on Universal Credit or equivalent, reaching an additional 1.5million 7-16 year olds

·         Expansion of holiday provision (food and activities) to support all children on free school meals, reaching an additional 1.1million children

·         Increasing the value of the Healthy Start vouchers to £4.25 per week (from £3.10) and expanding into all those on Universal Credit or equivalent, reaching an additional 290,000 pregnant women and children under the age of 4

Paul Pomroy, McDonald UK & Ireland CEO said: “It is incumbent upon everyone to help one another in these uncertain times and we are proud to lend our support the Child Food Poverty Task Force. This campaign is incredibly important to ensure no child ever goes without food. Our partnerships with FareShare and Food Drop have seen us deliver hundreds of thousands of tonnes of milk, bread, eggs, salad and fresh produce to those most vulnerable in our society and we will continue to support communities in need.”

Marcus Rashford said: "The Task Force is building momentum daily and I am proud to see huge players in the food industry, such as McDonald’s, committing to our aligned vision of combating child food poverty in the UK. 72% of children growing up in poverty live in a household where at least 1 person works (Child Poverty Action Group). 695,000 people have fallen off the payroll since March 2020. This is not their fault, nor is it ever the fault of the child. These families need our support, our ears and our platform. The time for action is now and I'm proud to be announcing McDonald’s as the most recent addition to the Child Poverty Task Force."