A SCHOOL in Lancashire is one of two taking part in a pilot 'One Pot Wonder Scheme' aimed at feeding children during half-term.

The scheme is being trialled by General Mills, a leading global food company alongside Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge and the Greggs Foundation charity and will provide families with free slow cookers, ingredients and recipes.

They say that they were inspired by the company's work with Manchester United and England footballer Marcus Rashford's Child Food Poverty Taskforce during 2020 and have been boosted by the star striker's support for the new scheme.

Marcus Rashford said: “It’s great to see members of the Taskforce working together on initiatives to support our most vulnerable children, and identifying solutions to alleviate fear and stress during school holidays.

"I’ll be watching very closely to determine the success of the pilot scheme, a special thank you to Tom for lending his time.

“I am pleased to see companies such as General Mills step in to help alleviate the child food poverty problem we have in the UK.

"We all have our parts to play in making sure that children don’t go hungry.”

The pilot scheme will provide meals to 24 families from Morecomb Bay Community Primary School in Lancashire and Tidemill Academy in Deptford, London, with recipes devised by Mr Kerridge.

The campaign is aimed at helping reduce child food poverty in the UK and will act as an extension of General Mill’s partnership with Greggs Foundation through their Breakfast Club programme who, during term time, provide breakfasts to schoolchildren across the country.

General Mills managing director of Northern Europe Ben Pearman said: “Supporting an end to child food poverty by helping families cook healthy and nutritious meals is a natural move for us a global food company.

“We are thrilled that Marcus Rashford is supporting ‘One Pot Wonders’ and delighted that Tom Kerridge has provided healthy and hearty recipes for the families involved.”

Meanwhile Tom Kerridge hopes that the families will enjoy his range of chilli and stew recipes.

He said: “As a chef and supporter of Marcus Rashford’s Task Force, developing easy to create and tasty meals for families, especially when parents are juggling many roles, has been incredibly rewarding.

“I hope this recipe book gives families the confidence to cook, and create homemade meals with the slow cookers they have received.”