Zayn Malik writes to Prime Minister asking for immediate action on Free School Meals

Zayn Malik writes open letter to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak asking for immediate action on Free School Meals

Global superstar Zayn Malik has written an open letter to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to add his voice to the Feed the Future Campaign call to plead for Free School Meals for all children from families on Universal Credit. It is estimated that 800,000 children in England are living in poverty and do not currently qualify.

In a personal letter penned to Mr Sunak, the multi-platinum selling artist demonstrated his passionate commitment to tackling Britain’s grave problem of food poverty, pleading the Government to commit in their budget on November 17th to give all children living in poverty a Free School Meal.

Zayn, one of Britain’s most successful musicians, grew up in inner city Bradford, West Yorkshire, and was one of the many children who relied on free school lunches. He knows first-hand the stigma surrounding food insecurity and the direct impact it had on his own physical and mental health.

As a child who depended on Free School Meals and now a father himself, he is a passionate supporter of the Feed the Future campaign and is committed to using his platform to call on Government to support our most vulnerable children.

"The work the Food Foundation do to tackle child food poverty is close to my heart, as I too was one of the children in the UK that relied on programs to ensure I was able to eat,” says Zayn.

"I want Government to act urgently to ensure that children no longer have to suffer the trauma and stigma of hunger and poverty and can grow up to have healthy and productive lives.

My long-term commitment to this work is driven by my families’ own experiences and I feel passionately that every child has a fundamental right to good food. This is a problem that we can all work together to solve."

In addition to his personal letter, Zayn is encouraging fans to get involved in the Feed the Future campaign by adding their voices via social media and by writing to their MPs: https://writetoyourmp.click/link

Anna Taylor, The Food Foundation’s Executive Director, said: "Zayn’s music has touched the lives of many millions of people. His own experiences as a child will resonate with many young people in Britain today whose voices go unheard."

NOTES TO EDITORS

UK interview requests for The Food Foundation to:

Lois Rogers - The Food Foundation - 07770 350 822 or lois.rogers@foodfoundation.org.uk 

Jo Ralling - The Food Foundation - 07770 500 858 or jo.ralling@foodfoundation.org.uk

USA

Align PR – teamzayn@align-pr.com

Photograph for Media Use

Latest Image of Zayn Malik - November 2022

SOCIAL MEDIA

Twitter: @Food_Foundation #FreeSchoolMeals #FSM #FeedTheFutureUK

Instagram: food.foundation

About Feed the Future

Feed the Future is a campaign led by a coalition of organisations including The Food Foundation, Bite Back 2030, School Food Matters, Child Poverty Action Group, Impact on Urban Health, Chefs in Schools, Jamie Oliver Ltd and Sustain. This coalition is making the case that Free School Meals should be extended to more children.
 

About The Food Foundation
The Food Foundation is a charity working to influence food policy and business practice, shaping a sustainable food system which makes healthy diets affordable and accessible for all. We work in partnership with researchers, campaigners, community bodies, industry, investors, government and citizens to galvanise the UK’s diverse agents of change, using surprising and inventive ideas to drive fundamental shifts in our food system. These efforts are based on the continual re-evaluation of opportunities for action, building and synthesising strong evidence, convening powerful coalitions, harnessing citizens’ voices and delivering impactful communications.
Registered Charity Number 1187611.