Medway Labour and Cooperative Group today submitted their petition calling on Medway Council to reverse the decision not to issue vouchers for the summer holiday for children entitled to free school meals. 

School holidays since the start of the pandemic have seen vouchers funded by government payments to the council.

These vouchers have supported Medway families struggling to feed their children during the holidays.  Medway Council have chosen not to fund the vouchers for the summer holiday period.  Only children who attend the Medway Go holiday programme will receive a meal.

Clive Johnson, Medway Labour and Cooperative Group Shadow Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, said today:

‘Our petition calls for Medway’s Conservative administration to reverse their callous and deeply damaging decision to not support Medway’s families over the long summer holiday.  A total of 992 people have shown their concern and are keen to see the Medway administration supporting Medway families.  Their decision not to fund the vouchers shows how completely out-of-touch Medway Conservatives are. 

‘They have been willing to spend money on a fancy roundabout or on fireworks to celebrate a naval defeat but they won’t feed hungry Medway children.  Although we have now submitted the petition, we will continue to collect signatures to put pressure on the Conservatives to change this awful decision.  Medway Labour will continue the fight to get our council to do the right thing.’

You can sign the petition here – https://www.change.org/p/reinstate-school-holiday-free-school-meal-vouchers-for-medway-families