A number of businesses across the county have offered to plug the gap by offering free food to kids.A number of businesses across the county have offered to plug the gap by offering free food to kids.
A number of businesses across the county have offered to plug the gap by offering free food to kids.

These are the businesses in and around Preston offering free food for those in need after school meal vote defeated

Businesses across Lancashire have stepped up to help make sure children don't go hungry after MPs voted down a motion to extend free school meals.

A bid to extend free school meals for the poorest children over the school holidays was defeated in a Commons vote on Wednesday evening (October 21).

The bid, tabled by Labour, was defeated by 322 votes to 261 - with a majority of 61.

It came after Number 10 ruled out pleas from MPs to support Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford’s campaign to guarantee meals during holidays for the poorest children as the pandemic's second wave hits.

He wanted the Government to agree to feed more than 1.4 million children during school breaks until Easter next year. Mr Rashford was successful in forcing a u-turn on the same matter earlier in the year.

He wrote on Twitter: "A significant number of children are going to bed tonight not only hungry but feeling like they do not matter because of the comments that have been made today."

Following the defeat, a number of businesses across the county have offered to plug the gap by offering free food to kids.

Which businesses have we missed? Let us know in our Facebook comments.

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It came after Number 10 ruled out pleas from MPs to support Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford’s campaign to guarantee meals during holidays for the poorest children as the pandemic's second wave hits.

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