• Through 2016-2020 we set up and ran a pilot project School Health and Well-being Services (SHAWS). This project in Tower Hamlets, Bristol & Blackpool would provide a Gold standard Food and Activity scheme that took the whole community through school holidays to positive help children, their families and the wider community.
  • In 2020, as the Pilot scheme was beginning, the pandemic began. Paul Wright, then lead Political Officer and Public Health Director indicated that possible school shutdowns were to occur. The then Children First team began to campaign for food for children on free school meals to be available for such children if schools shut. This then coincided with a wider sector call and working around the footballer Marcus Rashford.
  • Baroness Frances D’Souza, as then President, with Paul Wright began a series of Online Placard Marches and events in which children/adults held a Apple high, to show their call on government to act, making food available for children at home, and not able to have their Free School Meal. On the day of the then Conservative Government change, Baroness D’Souza spoke on BBC Radio 2, actively calling for changes (1 hour later, they were announced).

  • Paul Wright realised that without a long-term plan, that any pandemic funding and help would dissipate quickly. Therefore, we pushed to have a form of our Pilot project, that was now being looked at by the government called the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) scheme. We were successful with our partners to have this scheme start, and it still occurs to this day (£200 Million in Funding per Annum).
  • Throughout this time period, we had a single key call – A Department for Children, Young People & Families, or a Standalone Cabinet Minister for Children. We did not get this substantial change, but we did have Public Health, Children’s Commissioner and many other organisations support our call.