Why city’s ‘side before self’ spirit has rallied so many to fight holiday hunger - Laura Collins, YEP Editor

It’s not just the brilliance of Leeds United’s football that is putting a much-needed smile on people’s faces as this most difficult of years nears its end.
The determination of United’s players and the club itself to ensure no local child goes hungry is also sure to lift the city’s spirits in the midst of the ongoing pandemic. Pic: Catherine Ivill/NMC Pool/PA Wire.The determination of United’s players and the club itself to ensure no local child goes hungry is also sure to lift the city’s spirits in the midst of the ongoing pandemic. Pic: Catherine Ivill/NMC Pool/PA Wire.
The determination of United’s players and the club itself to ensure no local child goes hungry is also sure to lift the city’s spirits in the midst of the ongoing pandemic. Pic: Catherine Ivill/NMC Pool/PA Wire.

The determination of United’s players and the club itself to ensure no local child goes hungry is also sure to lift the city’s spirits in the midst of the ongoing pandemic.

Traditional rivalries on the pitch have been put to one side all for the common good as the campaign to tackle child hunger, led by Manchester United player Marcus Rashford, continues to gather pace.

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It prompted a collective outcry after three of our city’s MPs and the Government refused to look at extending support for free school meals into the holidays up until 2021.

On Friday evening, teachers across the city waved goodbye to their pupils as they went home to mark the start of the school holidays.

But for many there will be a sense of anxiety as to whether those young pupils will have enough food over the half-term break.

In the cases of many, their families are working incredibly hard to ensure that they don’t go without.

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A baby born in one part of the city is likely to live 10 years longer than another child born into a family in a different part of Leeds.

Let that figure sink in for a moment – and that is without the additional pressure of a global pandemic.

The impact of coronavirus has only further strained those already tightly-squeezed household budgets.

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Pay cuts, furlough and redundancies have added further pressure as businesses struggle to keep their heads above water.

For those already walking a financial tightrope, just one slight wobble can mean they are faced with a tough decision about what to prioritise: bills or food.

We have seen businesses, who are facing their own problems, come forward to help ensure that no child misses out on food.

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It is an issue that transcends politics. Put simply, it is about doing what is right for those children who need the help the most.

While the support has been incredible in the short-term and will swiftly help as many youngsters as possible this half-term break, we can’t keep papering over the cracks. What happens when the longer Christmas holidays arrive?

We need to start looking at real, tangible solutions to get a grip on childhood poverty once and for all. We aren’t living in the pages of a Charles Dickens novel, this is 21st century Leeds.

Over the last few days, we have seen the city rally round in the face of adversity and team up to support our youngest, most vulnerable residents.

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And this collective spirit of standing together is the true embodiment at the heart of Leeds’ identity.

The words of the late great Billy Bremner echo louder than ever.

Side before self – every time.

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