fbpx
Connect with us
https://propermanchester.com.temp.link/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/secret-suppers-advert.jpg

News

Free school meal vouchers to be handed out instead of ‘woefully inadequate’ food parcels 

The education secretary confirmed parents will receive vouchers instead

Avatar photo

Published

on

RoadsideMum/Twitter & Number10/Flickr

The education secretary has confirmed parents will receive vouchers instead of hampers. 

Gavin Williamson, education secretary, told the education committee in the House of Commons that the £15 voucher scheme will return next week after the government received criticism over the free school meal hampers. 

The U-turn from the government will see the return of £15 meal vouchers for supermarkets so parents can buy their own meals for children. 

Speaking to the committee, Mr Williamson said: “As a dad myself, I thought, ‘How could a family in receipt of that really be expected to deliver five nutritious meals as is required?’ It’s just not acceptable.” 

This week several pictures of food hampers were shared across social media with parents stressing how inadequate the parcels were to feed their children.

Speaking on one such image that came from the company Chartwells, Mr Williamson said ‘we will not live with that’.

He said: “There are clear standards that are set there that they need to deliver against and if they do not deliver against them, actions will have to be taken.”

He went onto add that the government would ‘name and shame’ companies which are not delivering high standards.

Tweeting today, the education secretary said: “I’ll be meeting with school catering firms today to make clear that the poor examples of lunch parcels we have seen are unacceptable. All parcels must meet the standards we expect to be adhered to. Every pupil needs a nutritious lunch.”

Chartwells apologised yesterday that the ‘quantity has fallen short in this instance’, and added that any costs will be refunded of parcels which have ‘not met usual high standards’. It added that from Monday the company would add an extra £3.50 of funding to food parcels.

Families eligible for free school meals can choose between food parcels or vouchers while schools are shut during the third national lockdown in England. 

The initial picture posted by RoadsideMum on Twitter has now racked up 19,000 retweets. Campaigner and Manchester United footballer, Marcus Rashford said ‘children deserve better than this’. 

He posted on Wednesday morning that he had a conversation with prime minister Boris Johnson and that the PM also thought the pictures were ‘unacceptable’. 

He said: “He has assured me that he is committed to correcting the issue with the food hampers and that a full review of the supply chain is taking place.

“He agrees that images of hampers being shared on Twitter are unacceptable.”

Children’s minister Vicky Ford, who called the pictures ‘completely unacceptable’, says she has met with the boss of Chartwells who has ‘taken immediate action to stop further deliveries of poor-quality parcels’.

“They will ensure schools affected are compensated and they will provide additional food to the eligible child in line with our increased funding,” said Ms Ford.

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

News

Stagecoach hiring over 100 new bus drivers for Bee Network with £31k salaries

Fancy a career change?

Avatar photo

Published

on

Stagecoach

Stagecoach Manchester is hiring over 100 new bus drivers to work from its Oldham depot, following the second phase of the Bee Network launch in March.

You can apply for a range of roles, from positions with no experience required to fully qualified bus drivers.

Successful applicants will receive full training as part of the job, and trainees will get paid to train. Then after only 12 months’ service at Stagecoach, drivers can expect to earn up to £16 per hour, which equates to £31.6K per year, before overtime.

As well as that, drivers that already hold a PCV licence may be eligible to receive a £1,200 joining bonus.

Stagecoach

There’s also a host of other benefits available to all Stagecoach employees, like 28 days paid holiday, generous pension and free Stagecoach bus travel for successful applicants and a companion.

Rob Jones, Managing Director at Stagecoach Manchester said: “Expanding our offering in Oldham means we’ll be investing more in the economy and supporting our local community, as well as strengthening our workforce.

“Whether you’re looking for a career change or you’re a fully qualified, experienced bus driver, there’s a role for everyone here in Oldham.

“We’re looking for personable and dedicated drivers who are ready to help us build on the success of the Bee Network and connect the people of Oldham and Greater Manchester with the places and people that are important to them.”

Stagecoach

Phil Cornwall, bus driver at Stagecoach Manchester, said: “I’ve been a driver at Stagecoach for 25 years and I couldn’t recommend it more.

“From the perks to the people to the passengers, it really is a great place to work.”

To apply, head to the Stagecoach website HERE.

Continue Reading

News

Two men charged with murder after torso discovered in Salford nature reserve

BREAKING:

Avatar photo

Published

on

Greater Manchester Police

Two men have now been charged with murder, following the discovery of a human torso in Kersal Dale.

As well as that, more suspected human remains were also discovered this morning, Monday April 29th, in an alleyway close to the railway lines off Worsley Road, Eccles.

This follows earlier discoveries of human remains over the past three weeks, at Kersal Dale, Blackleach Reservoir and Colliery Wood, all in Salford.

Greater Manchester Police


Michal Jaroslaw Polchowski (25/04/1956) and Marcin Majerkiewicz (10/04/1982) both of Worsley Road, Eccles, have been charged with murder.

They are set to appear at Tameside Magistrates Court this afternoon.

While formal identification is still ongoing, the remains found at Kersal Dale are believed to be of a local man in his 60s. The remains found at the other three locations are still to be tested, but police are confident they belong to the same victim.

ACC Sarah Jackson said: “We have had large numbers of officers, staff and specialists working diligently on this investigation over the last three weeks. It has been very much a large, collective effort, with the victim and family at the heart of it from the outset.

“We have specially trained officers deployed to support the family as they come to terms with this tragic news. They are aware of this morning’s further discovery and will continue to be kept up to date with how we are progressing.

“Despite the charges brought today, our work is far from over.

“The scenes we already have established in Bury and Salford will remain in place for much of this week whilst our searches and enquiries continue. Local officers will continue to patrol the impacted areas to provide reassurance.

“We will continue following every line of enquiry to recover and reunite the victim with his family, bringing a dignified end to this terrible scenario.

“I’d like to thank the communities of Salford and beyond for their cooperation throughout this investigation. I know this incident has come as a shock, and the support we’ve had from those in the area is very much appreciated.”

Continue Reading

News

More human remains discovered in Greater Manchester as police identify victim

All the latest updates

Avatar photo

Published

on

N Chadwick / Geograph

Detectives investigating the discovery of a torso in Kersal Dale have found more human remains around Greater Manchester.

GMP released a statement on the weekend, revealing they had opened four scenes for extensive searches – one of them at a warehouse in Bury, and three in Salford.

Searches took place at Blackleach reservoir, where human remains were found, and a dog walker found a package containing human remains at Colliery Wood.

Officers believe they have now identified the man, who they believe to be a man in his 60s that lived in Salford, and his family have been informed.

Two suspects have already been arrested in connection with the murder probe, with officers saying they are thought to have lived with the victim.

Greater Manchester Police / Facebook


Detective Superintendent Lewis Hughes, Senior Investigating Officer for this investigation, said in a statement at Blackleach reservoir yesterday, Sunday April 28th: “We have continued to make significant progress in our investigation into human remains being found in Kersal earlier this month.

“From day one, our priority has been to identify the man and his family so that we can give them the support and the answers that they need.

“Thanks to meticulous forensic work, we are now confident we have identified the man. Formal identification hasn’t yet taken place, but we believe he is a man in his 60s and lived in Salford.

“Specially-trained family liaison officers have met with his family this afternoon to give them the devastating news, and we will do all that we can to support them at this awful time.

“We believe he is known to the two suspects we have in custody. They have remained in custody for questioning over the weekend, as we work to establish how the victim met this tragic outcome.”

He continued: “We have painstakingly worked to follow up every line of inquiry in this investigation. Over the last couple of days, we have acted on information and had four scenes in place for extensive searches – one of them is at a warehouse in Bury, and three of them are in Salford, including here at Blackleach reservoir.

“Today, we have found some human remains at the reservoir here, and last night a dog walker found a package containing human remains at Colliery Wood. Forensic tests will continue to establish whose remains these are, but we are very confident that this is also the victim in our investigation.

“We have also been searching a house in Winton where we believe the victim and the two suspects lived. We have found evidence that the victim is likely to have died there – most likely in late March.

“While this is significant progress, we know there is still some way to go to complete this investigation. I also recognise details of this case will have been distressing for the people of Salford and beyond – including the officers that are diligently working on this investigation, and most importantly the man’s heartbroken family.

“Local officers will continue to patrol the affected areas, and we will provide updates when we have more information.”

Continue Reading

Receive our latest news, events & unique stories

Privacy and data policy

We may earn a commission when you use one of our links to make a purchase

Copyright © 2024 Manchester's Finest Group