In the letter, the England international highlighted that 200,000 children had to skip meals during the coronavirus lockdown because their families couldn't access sufficient food, according to charity Food Foundation. Please reconsider your decision to cancel the food voucher scheme over the summer holiday period and guarantee the extension. "Do you know how much courage it takes for a grown man to say, 'I can't cope' or 'I can't support my family'? Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford has written an emotional open letter to Members of Parliament in the UK, asking them to do more to stop child hunger. "Where this is not possible, schools can continue to offer vouchers to eligible pupils. "Thousands of children will also receive additional support through our Holiday Activities and Food programme, which offers activities and free meals throughout the summer holidays. "As a family, we relied on breakfast clubs, free school meals, and the kind actions of neighbours and coaches. "Food banks and soup kitchens were not alien to us; I recall very clearly our visits to Northern Moor to collect our Christmas dinners every year. "However, as announced this week by the Prime Minister, the local authority welfare assistance scheme will provide help to those who are struggling to afford food and other essentials due to the impact of Covid-19. The scheme was introduced in March to help families feed their children when schools were closed due to the coronavirus pandemic and Rashford is demanding a re-think. "This is England in 2020, and this is an issue that needs urgent assistance. "But it was not enough. ... your decision to cancel the food voucher scheme over the summer holiday period and guarantee the extension,” Rashford wrote in an open letter to MPs. 5 min read, 21:18 21 Oct 2020 This form collects your email so that we can send you emails. Please, while the eyes of the nation are on you, make the u-turn and make protecting the lives of some of our most vulnerable a top priority.". The centre-forward burst onto the scene suddenly at Old Trafford in the 2015/16 campaign under the tutelage of Louis van Gaal, winning the Jimmy Hill Young Player of the Year award that season. I would be doing myself, my family and my community an injustice if I didn't stand here today with my voice and my platform and ask you for help.". "My mum worked full-time, earning minimum wage to make sure we always had a good evening meal on the table. Rashard restated in his letter how fortunate he has been with how his life has turned out, while requesting assistance from the government to do more. Download the brand new OTB Sports App in the for the latest sporting news and content. "As a family, we relied on breakfast clubs, free school meals, and the kind actions of neighbours and coaches", wrote Rashford. Marcus Rashford penned an open letter to MPs to urge the government to not cancel the food voucher scheme over the summer holidays and has been supported by a number of stars. © Copyright 2020 - Off The Ball LTD. REG #614250 Marconi House, Digges Lane, Dublin 2, There are currently no podcasts in the queue, #coronavirus #coronaviruspandemic #coronavirusireland #covid19. The Manchester United star shared the two-page open letter he penned, addressed to 'all MPs in Parliament', on his official Twitter and Instagram accounts. Since lockdown began, Rashford has become involved in a charity which has raised £20 million and helped feed hundreds of thousands of children while simultaneously launching a campaign to aid the homeless and has learned sign language in order to judge a poetry event in a deaf school. The 22-year-old cited his own upbringing under the care of his beloved mother who, despite working full-time on minimum wage to ensure that her family ate a meal each evening, struggled to cope, regardless of how hard she worked to support her children. Rashford has teamed up with FairShare - the link is on his Instagram bio - and has provided an alternative to school dinners by distributing three million meals a week to vulnerable families in Britain, a gesture Rashford says is still insufficient. (And his mum should be very proud. "I would be doing myself, my family and my community an injustice if I didn't stand here today with my voice and my platform and ask you for help.".