'Without Rashford, some parents would have been forced to shoplift' - How Man Utd star's intervention will help those in need

As Marcus Rashford walked off the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium pitch following his warm-up on Friday evening, the electronic advertising boards flashed up the message ‘we appreciate everything you do’.

The sign of gratitude was aimed at the key workers who have toiled tirelessly throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. It could also, however, easily have been directed at the Manchester United forward after his campaigning ensured over one million children will not go hungry through the summer months.

Rashford lobbied for the government's free school meal voucher scheme to be extended through the upcoming summer holidays as families struggle to deal with the financial implications of the coronavirus. Despite initial opposition, it was announced on June 16 that the scheme would continue past its usual end point in mid-July.

Rashford's own personal experiences as a child pushed him to fight for those who are in the same situation he used to be when his mother was reliant on state-funded food.

“I was obviously shocked,” Rashford told the BBC after Prime Minister Boris Johnson U-turned on his decision. “It is a big decision for someone to make and I'm just grateful that the Prime Minister did change his decision and he understood.

“I spoke to him and thanked him for that. It's a nice feeling but I'm just happy that people's lives, and people's summers especially, have been changed for the better.”

United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was joined by fellow high-profile managers Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho in praising the 22-year-old, but Rashford was not doing it to receive recognition from his peers. He fought for the hundreds of thousands of families who will have one less worry this summer due to his actions.

Since the UK went into lockdown in March, the pressure on food banks and need for free food has intensified, with economic hardship forcing more people to ask for help than ever before. Food distribution charity, FareShare, is currently shipping out three times the amount of food they would normally do at this time of year.

Rashford, however, knew he had to do something to help well before the word 'coronavirus' had entered the wider lexicon.

The United forward first got in touch with FareShare last year after seeing their 'ActiveAte' campaign; an initiative set up to ensure children do not go hungry in the school holidays.  

“Marcus saw the campaign last summer and wanted to throw his weight behind it because he himself has a lived experience,” a spokesman for FareShare told Goal. “Marcus’ involvement has been invaluable in that it has really helped to raise the profile of the charity.”

The numbers speak for themselves. Since the beginning of the pandemic, individual donations - including a sum from Rashford himself - stand at £913,736 ($1.1m). That is enough to provide more than 3.7 million meals a week for vulnerable children and families. The charity ordinarily would primarily rely on grants and donations from businesses.

Rashford’s subsequent lobbying of the government to change their mind on free school meal vouchers will also benefit over one million children.

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Chris Dyson, headteacher at Parklands Primary School in Leeds, has been campaigning for free school meals for years, and has seen first-hand the impact of not having access to food on his pupils.

Five years ago, he opened his school up during school holidays to ensure the pupils that needed help would be able to receive it having seen the physical and mental toll of not being able to access three meals a day was having on the children.

And he is thrilled by the work Rashford has put in to help ensure those under his tutelage will not go hungry in the coming weeks.

“Marcus brought attention to all the hard work myself and other headteachers have been doing in trying to combat holiday hunger,” the charismatic Mr Dyson told Goal. “I work at one of the most deprived schools in the country and it broke my heart when I first started here six years ago.

“We were one of the worst schools in the country. Results were rock bottom, and now we have an outstanding rating from Ofsted. But more significantly we are in the top one per cent in terms of results in the country.

"It shows that no matter how deprived your school is, if you give the kids love, attention and support, the results will gather themselves.

Goal

“Rashford getting involved is the cherry on the cake, and for the thousands of kids that will benefit it’s a fantastic gesture. If he hadn’t come on board, I don’t think it would have happened.”

But what would have happened if the government had not changed their original decision?

“Parents would have struggled," admits Mr Dyson. "They would have gone without, food banks would have had a big run on them and shoplifting would have increased. How heartbreaking is it to be in a society where you have to go to a supermarket and steal food so your children can eat?

“This is the start of something special now. Holiday hunger has been getting worse in the years of austerity, and now we’re going to get it even worse because of the pandemic. We’ve touched the tip of the iceberg but need to make sure it continues now.”

And while Mr Dyson will continue to fight, so will Rashford.

“This is only going to be successful throughout the summer period so we've bought ourselves six weeks of time now to plan and figure out what's next and keep taking steps forward,” Rashford told the BBC . “I don't want this to be the end of it because there are definitely more steps that need to be taken.”

Friday night's draw in north London saw Rashford return to his day job, but it definitely will not spell the end of his campaigning.

Millions around the country are relying on him.