New voucher scheme launched to help eligible Tameside children

Tameside Council has launched a voucher scheme for children who are eligible to receive free school meals to help feed them during the half-term this week. 

Families can now apply for the vouchers by going to www.tameside.gov.uk/voucher. For those children who are eligible, the e-mail address provided by parents or carers will be passed to Tesco or Asda supermarkets (whichever they choose) and they will be sent an e-voucher to that address. 

The council say vouchers should be received within 24 hours of the application being received and verified but it could take up to 48 hours. 

Council leader Cllr Brenda Warrington confirmed the scheme on Twitter last weekend, saying the authority wanted to ensure that no child on free school meals would go hungry over the current holiday period. 

However, a number of kind-hearted people from businesses, groups and organisations across the borough have stepped up to provide free meals for school children this week. 

It comes in response to footballer Marcus Rashford's campaign to end child food poverty and after Conservative MPs voted against a motion in the House of Commons last week to extend free school meals for pupils in England into the holidays up to Easter 2021. 

Through the scheme run through the council, the supermarket food vouchers for £15 per child per week will be available for children who attend schools in the borough and are eligible for income based free school meals. The vouchers can be spent on food only. 

Around 9,000 children are eligible for income based free school meals across Tameside.

People who are unable to complete the online form at the link above or need urgent support should contact Tameside Council's Early Help Access Point on 0161 342 4260 for assistance. You can also find out information on other help available for children and families at https://www.tameside.gov.uk/earlyhelp/neighbourhoods. 

Cllr Leanne Feeley, Executive Member for Lifelong Learning, said: “We’re pleased to say the scheme is now live and eligible families can apply straight away via the weblink.

“Thousands of families in Tameside are facing unprecedented challenges at the moment and we want to do everything we can to support them.

“We do not want any of our children to go hungry this half term holiday, and following the government's decision last week not to fund free school meals throughout that period we were keen to step in.

“I’m aware many local businesses in Tameside have also offered their support to struggling families to provide free meals to children and I applaud their community spirit. It makes me very proud of Tameside – we are a community with a warm and generous heart.

“In return it would be lovely if everyone could be mindful of continuing to support local businesses so we can help each other keep going through these difficult times.”