By Local lockdown hero Zane Powles MBE urging parents to get free school meals vouchers
Zane Powles, the deputy head at Western Primary School in Grimsby, was awarded an MBE and featured across national media outlets when he walked thousands of miles and hand-delivered school meals to his pupils during the Covid-19 lockdowns.
The dedicated teacher, who has been branded a local hero, is now urging parents in North East Lincolnshire to take up the offer of free school meals vouchers for their children.
He told Lincs FM: “The difference is massive. I was speaking to a family last year – she saves up money from Easter time as much as she can, a couple of pounds here and there just when it comes to the summer holidays, she’s got a bit more money. Having four young children, they eat a lot of food.
“These children are our future teachers, doctors, bin men, lorry drivers and supermarket workers.
“If we don’t support them now what are we preparing our future. We’ve got to support them as much as we can.
“If these vouchers can do more things like giving parents the time to spend with the children give them more nutritional meals rather than thinking, ‘I’ve only got this amount of money left’. So, these vouchers could be the could be the way out, could be the escape.
Zane also plans to encourage local children to get involved in various activities, in a bid to get them active and exercising.
“I’m taking out leaflets tomorrow around my community, our school, trying to get the children involved getting down here maybe even pick him up to get them paddle boarding and taking part in yoga.”
