Reece James shows how much food can be provided by charity with £30 donation

‘Unacceptable’

Chelsea and England defender Reece James has highlighted the difference between the widely criticised £15 Free School Meal parcels and how much food can be provided by a charity with a £30 donation.

A picture revealing the contents of a food parcel with which a family is expected to be fed for 10 days prompted huge outcry when posted on social media earlier this week.

Under the Free School Meals scheme, which was extended by the government last year after a campaign by James’ England teammate Marcus Rashford, families are entitled to vouchers worth £30 to purchase food. However, food packages have replaced the £30 vouchers previously given to families. Many believe the value of the food included in these packages (and subsequently given to children at state schools) does not amount to £30.

James has been working closely with The Felix Project in recent months, and tweeted an image of the food package beside a picture of the food provided by the London-based charity with a £30 donation.

‘Look at the difference between the two,’ he tweeted. ‘Unacceptable.’

£15 Free School Meal vs The @felixprojectuk using a £30 donation.
Look at the difference between the two. Unacceptable. pic.twitter.com/As4XTshVgK

— Reece James (@ReeceJames) January 13, 2021