Update - Banbury and Brackley eateries join effort to feed school children as Banburyshire MP justifies voting against free school meals for half term

The Jenny's Cafe team which will be serving up lunches to eligible children this half term

Jenny's Cafe in the Market Place has pledged to provide a free hot lunchtime meal for children who would have received a free school meal.

"During this half term Jenny’s Brackley will help low income families who would usually receive free school meals by providing them with a hot children’s meal from our menu free of charge," said owner Francesca Gilgil.

"This will help so many families who have had furlough end or extended or have been made redundant and are now having to rely on universal credit.

Francesca Gilgil who owns Jenny's Cafe. She hopes to feed as many eligible children as possible

"We will prepare any hot meal from our children's menu for the children to either eat in or collect for take away. We hope to be able to help as many people as we can."

The meals are offered between Monday - Friday from 11am - 1pm.

South Northants MP Andrea Leadsom justified voting against an extension of free school meals to the half term, saying the government has spent millions to help families in need.

"The Government extended free school meals over the summer holiday this year because most children hadn’t been in school since March and families had been meeting the extra costs of this. This autumn, the situation is totally different. The majority of children are back in school and have therefore been benefiting from free school meals during term as normal.

The Jenny's Cafe team outside the Brackley eatery

Parliament voted on extending free school meals outside term time in an opposition debate tabled by the Labour Party. I voted with the Government. Every politician agrees that no child must go hungry - this opposition debate was used to imply that Labour takes a different view to the Government.

"This Government has actually extended free school meal eligibility to a further 50,000 children and expanded programmes like breakfast clubs and has not cut funding or availability like the Labour Party are claiming.

Mrs Leadsom said that since the start of Coronavirus, the Government has added over £9 billion to the welfare system. This has allowed it to increase Universal Credit by £1,000 per year, increase Local Housing Allowance and create a £180m fund to help struggling families with their rent, create a £63m fund for councils to use for local welfare assistance and award £16m to food charities.

"This is all money that is going to families who are in need," she said.

* Ta Bros Fish and Chips, Brackley is also offering free meals to low income families over half term.

"During this Half term we at Ta Bros decided to follow the steps of other local businesses and join this cause to help as much families as possible. Times are hard for us local businesses but there is always someone with a harder life than ours," said a spokesman.

"We will be helping low income families who would usually get free school meals by providing these children with a hot meal and a choice of either one portion of chips and sausage, a portion of chips and fishcake or a portion of chips and two mozzarella sticks, free of charge from Tuesday to Saturday, 12pm - 2pm."

* Grimsbury Fish Bar, Banbury will be serving sausage and chips to school children who are accompanied by an adult to the shop. The offer is from today (Monday) until Saturday.