[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$f10b3rz2z388kj":3,"$f1s2ao8gizgjsb":17},{"id":4,"blog_author_id":5,"blog_category_id":6,"is_featured":7,"title":8,"slug":9,"content":10,"content_overview":11,"published_at":12,"seo_title":8,"seo_description":13,"image":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16},"01m5fanaffkxrzkrpj1x4keag4","9cdbdd6d-4900-4646-a012-d3e67a5ee788","01j303dmcc6n6900v73fs88bc7",false,"Right to Food Commission supports Aberlour's Call to End School Meal Debt","right-to-food-commission-supports-aberlours-call","\u003Cp>School meal debt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Three words that should never be uttered in the same sentence\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Children bearing the burden and stigma of debt should shame any society.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And yet, here in Scotland that is what we saw happening for thousands of children and their families around the country.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For many high school children having a negative balance on their parent pay account would mean being unable to access a meal at school.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>School meal debt and hidden school hunger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two sides of the same coin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter what side that coin lands on it would still show how badly we have failed many of Scotland’s most disadvantaged children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That is why at Aberlour we were compelled to do something about it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To make sure we stood beside those children and their families and to call for something to change – urgently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We wanted to make sure we saw an \u003Ca href=\"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.aberlour.org.uk\u002Fabout-us\u002Fpolicy-and-influencing\u002Fpublic-debt\u002Fschool-meal-debt\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">end to school meal debt and hidden school hunger for good\u003C\u002Fa>.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In 2023 we urged the then First Minister, Humza Yusaf, to act.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To bring an end to the shameful practice of children and their families being chased by debt collectors for school meal debt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>School meal debt is a symptom of families not having enough money to provide the very basics for their children.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fundamentally, it is about a lack of income.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We welcomed the introduction of a one-off School Meal Debt Fund to write off outstanding debt for one year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But we were clear that was not enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our evidence shows that the majority of children with school meal debt are from low-income working families who do not qualify for free school meals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So, along with writing off the debt for struggling families, we called for the expansion of Free School Meals to all low-income families across Scotland to help prevent school meal debt in the first place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Again, we welcomed John Swinney’s subsequent commitment to continuing the School Meal Debt Fund for a further year to write off nearly £3 million of school meal debt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Figures show that this benefitted 70,000 children and their families across Scotland over the last two years.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A welcome relief for many, but still a limited intervention without a long-term solution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Our campaign to end school meal debt has continued up to and during the recent Scottish Parliament elections.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last year we also published evidence that pointed to the extent of school meal debt for children and their families in England.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What our research suggested was that around 1 in 4 children not eligible for free school meals in England had regular or persistent school meal debt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so we called on the UK Government to act and follow Scotland’s lead by taking action to end school meal debt for children across the rest of the UK.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This week saw the launch of the independent UK Right to Food Commission report and findings following their work to evidence the scale of food insecurity across the UK.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Commission’s report provides a roadmap and clear actions all governments across the UK must take to end food insecurity for all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This includes ending school meal debt for good for all children the length of the country, from Aberdeen to Aberystwyth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Scotland, the SNP made a commitment during the Scottish Parliamentary election campaign to end school meal debt once and for all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That manifesto pledge was then followed by the First Minister announcing that families struggling with school meal debt would continue to be helped by committing the same level of investment again this year to write that debt off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time this will happen alongside the further expansion of Free School Meals in primary schools.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The urgent measure and a preventative solution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There is much more the First Minister must do to make real progress on his ambition to “eradicate child poverty”.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this is one example that the rest of the UK can follow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Making sure no child ever again is burdened with debt or goes hungry at school would be a quick win for Andy Burnham, to show his commitment to tackling food insecurity by ending school meal debt in every postcode.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp> \u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Martin Canavan\u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Head of Policy & Influencing \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003C\u002Fp>",null,"2026-10-21T00:00:00.000000Z","Aberlour Children's Charity's Head of Policy & Influencing, Martin Canavan, shares what must be done to end school meal debt and hidden hunger in schools for good. He shares what has been done in Scotland and what must be done in England.","media\u002Fmartin canavan 3.jpg","2026-10-21T13:33:25.000000Z","2026-10-21T15:24:48.000000Z",{"id":18,"title":19,"slug":20,"image":21,"content":22,"location_title":23,"contact_name":11,"location_address":11,"postcode":24,"phone":25,"email":26,"care_inspectorate_links":27,"is_featured":28,"is_active":29,"is_national":28,"attachments":11,"seo_title":30,"seo_description":31,"created_at":32,"updated_at":33,"lat":11,"lng":11,"summary":34},78,"Intensive Perinatal Support - Glasgow","intensive-perinatal-support-glasgowlasgow","media\u002F01KM0Y2GPAYP8P4Z13T3FD4J7H.webp","\u003Cdiv data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">We support families affected by substance use to build strong, loving foundations for themselves and their babies by providing compassionate, relationship-based support from 12 weeks into pregnancy through to the baby's first birthday. \u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cdiv data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\"> \u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Ch2>How we help\u003C\u002Fh2>\n\u003Cdiv>Our service provides intensive, whole-family, community-based support, offering practical and emotional support tailored to each family's needs. We will work alongside families and with other agencies to maximise opportunities for new babies to remain safely in the care of their mother and family.\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cdiv> \u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cdiv>Our support includes –\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cul data-editing-info=\"{"unorderedStyleType":2}\">\n\u003Cli>Flexible support, operating 365 days a year from 8am- 8pm\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Support attending appointments e.g. midwives, substance use services, social work and housing.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Preparing for becoming a parent\u002F safe home setting for the baby\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Increasing knowledge attachment\u002Fbonding\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Advocacy, e.g. child protection case conference\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>1:1 trauma-informed, emotional support (mental health, domestic abuse, trauma)\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Focus on increasing parenting capacity ​\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Support birthing experiences.\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Promoting bonding and attachment (play, baby massage)\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Supporting family time\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Building\u002Fstrengthening kinship and community support\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Intensive visiting support\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003Cli>Parenting role modelling (bathing, feeding etc)\u003C\u002Fli>\n\u003C\u002Ful>\n\u003Cdiv aria-hidden=\"true\"> \u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cblockquote>\n\u003Cdiv>“I don't know what our family would have done without you, you are always there for me\"​\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cdiv>\"You're like my wee fairy godmother, always there when I need you\" \u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003C\u002Fblockquote>\n\u003Cdiv>\u003Cspan data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">Any agency can make a request on behalf of a family. We also accept self-referrals. If you would like more information or to discuss referring a family, please contact us by:\u003C\u002Fspan>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cdiv> \u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cdiv>\n\u003Cdiv data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">\u003Cstrong>Phone: \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003Ca href=\"tel:07385931368\">07385931368\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003Cdiv>\u003Cstrong>Email: \u003C\u002Fstrong>\u003Cu>\u003Ca href=\"mailto:Margaret.mackay@aberlour.org.uk\">Margaret.mackay@aberlour.org.uk\u003C\u002Fa>\u003C\u002Fu> or alternatively \u003Ca href=\"mailto:AberlourIntensivePerinatalService-Glasgow@aberlour.org.uk\">AberlourIntensivePerinatalService-Glasgow@aberlour.org.uk\u003C\u002Fa> \u003C\u002Fdiv>\n\u003C\u002Fdiv>","Glasgow","G51 4EB","07385931368","AberlourIntensivePerinatalService-Glasgow@aberlour.org.uk",[],0,1,"Aberlour Intensive Perinatal Support - Glasgow","Our service provides intensive, whole-family, community-based support, offering practical and emotional support tailored to each family's needs.","2026-03-12T11:01:58.000000Z","2026-03-18T16:57:13.000000Z","\u003Cp>Our service provides intensive, whole-family, community-based support, offering practical and emotional support tailored to each family's needs.\u003C\u002Fp>"]