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Councillor vows to ensure no children in Wolverhampton go hungry this half-term

A councillor has vowed to ensure no children in Wolverhampton go hungry this half-term.

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Councillor Ian Brookfield with Councillor Asha Mattu, founder of the Elias Mattu Foundation Food Hub

Councillor Asha Mattu said her phone hasn't stopped ringing since she posted online saying the Elias Mattu Foundation would be providing food parcels for vulnerable families this half-term to ensure children don't go hungry.

It comes after Conservative MPs voted against a Labour motion to back Manchester United and England star Marcus Rashford’s scheme to extend free school meals for all holidays until next summer.

The foundation in Penn Fields, set up by Councillor Asha Mattu and named after her late husband and former mayor Elias Mattu, delivers to almost 500 people each week.

Over the summer Councillor Mattu said there were about 100 extra families in need which the foundation helped.

She added: "We did it over the summer holidays, we provided food parcels for vulnerable families and we know with half term coming up and the way things are, it's quite grey with job losses, so we thought we'd do it again for half term and we're going to continue for as long as we can.

"We had just over 100 extra families over the summer on.

"Our email hasn't stopped pinging and my phone hasn't stopped going so I'm expecting even more.

"To make sure children don't go without, it makes a huge difference.

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"When the children are referred to us we have the whole make-up of the family so we provide a parcel for the whole family not just one child.

"It will have rice, pasta, soup, fresh fruit and vegetables, sandwiches, eggs, tea, coffee, beans and more.

"We could do with some more drivers to help too."

If you need help, or can help with the driving, contact Councillor Mattu on 07904310530.

Wolverhampton Council has already said it will pay for free school meals for 16,000 children this half term.

A total of £250,000 has been made available for the scheme.

The Labour leader of Birmingham City Council has also pledged to provide 61,000 eligible youngsters with meals in a scheme which will cost the local authority between £800,000 and £1 million.

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