Thousands back bid to bring back Nottingham free school holiday meals voucher scheme
More than 2,000 people have supported a campaign to reinstate a voucher scheme that previously gave free meals to children in Nottingham during school holidays.
Nottingham City Council scrapped the scheme last year following a Government funding cut.
The scheme had benefited an estimated 21,570 pupils, providing vouchers at £15 per week during each holiday, with an extra £50 for the summer break.
Council officials acknowledged that ending the scheme “may have a considerable impact on households who have previously relied on this support, especially during times when children are not in school and access to meals may be more limited”.
CounShuguftah Quddoos (Grn), former Sheriff of Nottingham, presented a petition with more thsn 2,000 signatures to the council at a meeting on November 9.
Most signatures were gathered from parents and carers outside nearly all of the city’s primary schools.
The petition comes as a recent report by the Children’s Commissioner, published on October 19, ranked Nottingham the fourth hardest place in England for a child to grow up.
Council leaders described the voucher scheme as a ‘Conservative sticking plaster for an underlying problem that prioritises normalising the symptoms of poverty’ and said alternative support is now available through a holiday activities and food programme.
But Coun Quddoos said she received a distressed call from a mother after she was told at her school office that vouchers had been discontinued.
She told the meeting: “They need food on their table at home during the holidays, not at an activity club for which parents will have to find a costly bus fare.”
She argued the alternative programme is inadequate, as it supplies meals for only 24 days annually, compared to 101 days of school holidays.
Chris Whale, ex-primary teacher and Nottingham Save Our Services coordinator, said the decision to scrap the vouchers in September 2025 was ‘a body blow to Nottingham parents already struggling from 15 years of austerity measures’.
Bulwell councillor Ethan Radford (Lab), deputy leader and finance executive, said the Household Support Fund ended in March but was replaced by the £21m three-year Crisis and Resilience Fund, under which families may receive up to £250 in crisis payments.
He added more than 6,000 residents have received £670,000 through this support.
The Government has also expanded childcare and free school meal provisions.