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I’ve received a very moving email from a parent who shared this photo with me of the “food hamper” their children received as #FreeSchoolMeals. I’m sharing sections of the email with their consent. I’m following up on the points about nutritional content of the “meals”.
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2. As a family struggling during the pandemic, it feels very degrading to have our children’s foods man handled by many people and receiving food that someone else has decided my children should eat. We will accept the food but we haven’t had any choice as to what we feed them.
3. We have worked continuously since coming into working age, after paying our income taxes for well over 20 years, we’ve been furloughed and are struggling and we are now being told what to feed our children and it simply isn’t on.
3. I know the voucher scheme is open to abuse, but we are all being punished for the actions of a few.
So the list of what we received was;
2 cucumbers
2 tubs mini tomatoes
4 potatoes
Two mini cheeses (baby bell and Philadelphia)
4 small semi milk
So the list of what we received was;
2 cucumbers
2 tubs mini tomatoes
4 potatoes
Two mini cheeses (baby bell and Philadelphia)
4 small semi milk
4. Dozen eggs
9 yoghurt pots
2 Loaves of bread
2 baked bean tins
2 sweet corn tins.
We returned one loaf of bread as we had some at home already.
The yoghurts provided contain over 18g sugar per 100g. The yoghurt we usually buy contains average 8g of sugar per 100g.
9 yoghurt pots
2 Loaves of bread
2 baked bean tins
2 sweet corn tins.
We returned one loaf of bread as we had some at home already.
The yoghurts provided contain over 18g sugar per 100g. The yoghurt we usually buy contains average 8g of sugar per 100g.
5. The semi skimmed milk will most likely go to a food bank as the children only like whole milk. There’s only 1% difference in fat between semi & whole milk, Yet they give us yoghurts with more than double amount of sugar. No thought/ love has gone into these free school meals.
6. Have you eaten these yoghurts? I tasted it yesterday and it was more of a syrup than a yoghurt! I know of chocolate and cake bars that contain less sugar per weight and taste a whole lot better.
7. Going back to the list, it means one child will not get a yoghurt on day 5. There’s no cheddar to go with jacket potatoes. Who eats baby bell in a sandwich? There was no butter or margarine for the bread.
8. The saying “nothing is ever for free, there’s always a catch” comes to mind. The catch is Chartwells have kept more than 75% of the value allocated to us for their admin and delivery charges.
The monetary allowance for these 5 days would have been £30 for both our children.
The monetary allowance for these 5 days would have been £30 for both our children.
9. The monetary allowance for these 5 days would have been £30 for both of our children, I can not accept these items cost this much. I do hope you can portray our dissatisfaction and disgust about the way in which we have been made to feel by the government and Chartwells.
10. I hope this email reaches the teaching union and LEA and to anyone you may feel needs to see this. Thank you.
