BUGB has endorsed the Children's Society's Fair and Square campaign, which is calling for every child in poverty to get a free school meal. As part of the campaign 90,000 signatures were handed into 10 Downing Street last week (12 February).

Every day, more than half of the 2.2 million school children living in poverty in England miss out on a free school meal. Of these, 700,000 are not even entitled to one - often because their parents work, regardless of how little they earn.

Free school meals can help to lift children out of poverty, according to the Children's Society, which estimates that 140,000 children have already been moved out of poverty by receiving them.

Making them available to all children in need would help keep the government on target to meet its target to end child poverty by 2020.

And with the introduction of changes to the benefit system under Universal Credit, the government has a unique opportunity to change policy to make this happen.

The Revd Ian Bunce, Faith and Society networker (Mission and Media) at the Baptist Union of Great Britain, said, 'The Baptist Union are delighted to express our support for this campaign, and pray that it will help make a difference to those most vulnerable and in need within our communities.

'We encourage local people to join the campaign and make a difference to young lives.'

Lily Caprani, director of communications and policy at The Children's Society, said, 'Nearly three quarters of teachers told us they are seeing children in school with no lunch, and no way to pay for one. We know from the families we work with up and down the country that parents are struggling to put food on the table.
'Tens of thousands of people have joined our call for the government to take this practical - and very straightforward - step towards ending child poverty.'