UPDATED - This is an URGENT petition. As the council Leader refused to accept reinstating vouchers as urgent business at cabinet this week we now want to present this petition on Monday 11th April 2022 to the meeting full meeting of Norfolk County Council as an urgent item to get a change of policy backdated to cover all the Easter school holidays. Norfolk County Council has stopped providing school holiday meal vouchers.

Other councils are continuing the school holiday vouchers but not Norfolk, whose Conservative cabinet initially resisted supporting hungry children during the pandemic until Marcus Rashford's intervention. Their refusal to even discuss it this week shows their underlying attitude hasn’t changed. The numbers that have already signed the petition show how out of step they are. The car crash TV interview with the council Leader shows his lack of empathy. The comments show how great the need is.

Feeding hungry children is not an option, it is an imperative. This lets down hungry children and struggling families in the teeth of spiralling costs.

There is a cynical suggestion that the Holiday Activity Fund events where children will be fed is an alternative. It's not and was never, ever intended to be. It is the worst kind of whitewash for a callous betrayal of those needing help. There are only a fraction of the places that would be required, many families simply can’t afford the travel costs and there is little provision for those with additional needs.

Please sign the petition and get others to do so too - but this is a really short timescale so we need your help right now, please. Public pressure worked before and we need to make it count again - that's where your help is so vital. Feeding hungry children is not optional, it is imperative!

Thank you for your support so far. Please keep sharing and asking others to sign!