Marcus Rashford Inspires McDonald’s To Pledge One Million Free Meals

Man United star Marcus Rashford has inspired McDonald’s and local businesses across England to step up and support the provision of free meals for children and families less fortunate during the October half-term.

The fast-food chain took to Twitter to announc their pledge of one million free meals for “families in need” following 22-year-old Rashford’s campaign with the FareShare charity. 

We are proud to announce a partnership with @FareShareUK to provide 1 million meals for families in need. Our funding will enable the urgent redistribution of meals across the next couple of weeks to those in greatest need.

— McDonald’s UK (@McDonaldsUK) October 23, 2020

Rashford, who scored the winner in Man United’s 2-1 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday, finished off an incredible week by inspiring shops, cafes, outlets and businesses up and down the country to step up and support children by filling the voucher scheme deficit left by the Conservatives, following the news that Conservative MPs voted down continuing the provision of free school meals during half-term.

Showing more leadership than anyone currently in power at Westminster, Rashford, who recently recieved an MBE from the Queen for his recent charity efforts, inspired his followers to share the hashtag #ENDCHILDFOODPOVERTY at to tweets in order to raise visibility of those helping the vulnerable across the UK. 

Rashford highlighted the generosity of a large number of community businesses who have joined his campaign to feed hungry kids during school holidays:

Blown away by news of local businesses stepping up to fill the voucher scheme deficit during the October half term. Selflessness, kindness, togetherness, this is the England I know 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Add #ENDCHILDFOODPOVERTY to your tweets so I can track them. I will share as many as I can ♥️

— Marcus Rashford MBE (@MarcusRashford) October 22, 2020

Rashford’s Twitter is now full of stories of people working together to do their bit in doing what’s right and ending child hunger. He continued to share these stories while he joined his mother to help at a new FareShare foodbank depot in Greater Manchester. The striker opened up to the BBC about how his mum, Melanie Maynard, relied on free school meals and did 14-hour shifts to feed him and his four siblings when he was growing up in Wythenshawe.