​Catering staff making sure our children are fed

Hundreds of Bury school pupils are continuing to enjoy a healthy dinner during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Council catering staff have been delivering up to 750 meals a week to schools which have remained open to look after the children of key workers and those entitled to fee school meals.

Councillor Tamoor Tariq, cabinet member for children and families, said: “Working closely with children’s services, our catering team has ensured that we have provided for our young people throughout this crisis.

“There have been some horror stories elsewhere of suppliers delivering inadequate food parcels, and there are still problems around the national food voucher scheme. 

“We have ensured that all pupils across Bury attending school, who are entitled to free school meal, have received one every day or received their £15 per week in vouchers. We have also supported schools who could not access the voucher system by providing additional packed lunches to be sent to the children, who were particularly vulnerable.

“Some schools have also gone to great lengths by making other arrangements, so it is very much the case that all parties have ensured that our children are fed.”

ENDS

Press release issued: 13 May 2020.

Picture: Catering staff Jenni Sullivan and Jackie Yates at Parrenthorn who have been running packed lunch boxes for most of the south of the borough.