Campaigners say they are disappointed there are no plans to reinstate a voucher scheme for free meals for children during school holidays – and fear many could go hungry as a result.
Nottingham City Council had offered free school meal vouchers during school holiday periods, but the scheme was pulled last year amid a reduction in funding from the Government.
In the past, it was understood more than 17,000 children in the city were eligible for the vouchers, and campaigners have been calling on the authority to reinstate the scheme after its finances improved.
The council said at the time the change “may have a considerable impact on households who have previously relied on this support, especially during times when children are not in school and access to meals may be more limited”.
Despite campaigners petitioning the council to bring the scheme back at a meeting on Monday (May 11), deputy leader Cllr Ethan Radford (Lab) said they had “no choice” but to cancel it due to funding, but added there was plenty of other support available.
Campaigner Des Conway, for Nottingham Save Our Services (SOS), said he was disappointed with the response.
He said: “The [council] provided information about some options – however, these do not cover the total amount that was being provided for each school student.
“Yet, according to its own figures on February 24, 2026, the city council forecast its general fund balance and reserves for the financial year ending 31 March 2026 as: Available general fund reserves £42.092 million and earmarked reserves £210.054 million.
“It is known that the council can also un-earmark some reserves when it decides to. Why is the city council not supporting those school students using funds from its general reserves rather than saying let the affected households face the ‘considerable impact’?”
Cllr Shuguftah Quddoos (Green), who attended a protest outside the Council House on Monday, added: “I know the food voucher scheme was a lifeline for our most vulnerable families.
“I have had many parents getting in touch to ask why the vouchers are no longer being issued to them.
“At a time of rising food prices, the decision not to continue the food voucher scheme will lead to holiday hunger for children in our city.”
Cllr Radford, who is also the council’s executive member for finance, said: “A reduction of 12 per cent in the total amount Nottingham receives in household support fund in 2025/26 means we’ve had no choice but to make the decision to end the provision of free school meal vouchers during the school holiday periods.
“Continuing this support would use approximately 58 per cent of the available funding and significantly reduce the amount of crisis and practical support we can provide in other vital areas, such as paying utility bills, meeting other essential living costs, housing costs, or buying food. Parents of children receiving free school meals are entitled to support during the school holidays through the Government’s Holiday Activities and Food programme, known as Free Fun and Food, in Nottingham.
“This programme has been extended to March 2029 and provides fun and engaging activities, as well as a healthy meal, for children during the school holiday periods. The council needs to demonstrate a continuing commitment to maintaining reserves at a level that provides adequate cover for most identified risks during the planning period, and not use reserves to deal with any structural deficit by meeting recurring revenue spending pressures.
“That said, this Labour council has allocated additional resources in the millions of pounds to support and protect Nottingham families in the face of a cost of living crisis. Added together, these new policies stand to save family household budgets hundreds of pounds a year.”
