The former One Direction singer, 29, who relied on free school meals as a child growing up in Bradford, recently became an ambassador for the Food Foundation and supports the Feed the Future campaign. Malik has written to the prime minister, calling on him to use the government’s November budget to extend the limit on free school meals to include young people from families on universal credit. He is the latest celebrity to back wider access to free school meals, alongside England footballer Marcus Rashford and chef Jamie Oliver. In his letter, the singer writes: “These children suffer from a lack of concentration, some even resort to stealing food from school canteens because they are so hungry but cannot afford to buy lunch. “They also feel shame, which directly affects their physical and mental health. I know what this shame feels like, I’ve seen it first hand, growing up in Bradford relying on free school meals. I have personally experienced the stigma surrounding food insecurity. “I hope that by writing this letter we can all ensure that no child will experience this hunger and stigma again, as my experience is not unique. it’s a struggle that unfortunately a lot of kids in England are going through at the moment.” According to the Food Foundation, around 800,000 children in England live in poverty but do not qualify for free school meals. Malik says many parents are “already doing their best” and government support is “desperately needed”. Addressing Sunak, he adds: “As prime minister, you have the power to change this. Act with good conscience and make a budget commitment on November 17 to give all children living in poverty a free school meal. Hungry children are not inevitable and should not come down to a political issue or ideology.” Anna Taylor, executive director of the Food Foundation, said: “Zayn’s music has touched the lives of millions of people. We are thrilled to be working on the campaign and to have him as an ambassador. His own experiences as a child will resonate with many young people in Britain today whose voices are not being heard.” As part of the campaign, Malik is urging people to write to their MPs about the issue. The Bradford-born singer embarked on a solo career after leaving One Direction in 2015, a year before the boyband went on hiatus indefinitely. Feed the Future is a campaign led by a coalition of organisations, including the Food Foundation, Bite Back 2030 and Jamie Oliver Ltd.
