100 million free school meals delivered in London

100 million free school meals have been delivered to London's state primary school children in just over 2 years.

All state primary school children in London have been offered free school meals since September 2023.

Each child has been offered 435 lunches in this time.

The programme is supported by funding from the Mayor of London.

It is estimated that the funding saves families around £1,500 over three years per child. It also improves the health and wellbeing of children and positively impacts school communities.

The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that 100 million meals have now been provided to children across London’s state primary schools. I know from personal experience what a difference these meals make, so to be able to ensure that hundreds of thousands of children are receiving them across London every single day brings huge personal pride. These healthy meals are ensuring children don’t go hungry at school, making them ready to learn and giving them the energy to make the most of everything the school day offers, while also taking the financial pressure off their families. That’s why I’ll continue to fund this unprecedented programme for as long as I am Mayor and support our next generation, as we build a fairer and better London for everyone.”

Chef and Campaigner Jamie Oliver said: “Kids in London are properly fuelled to learn, thanks to the Mayor. Serving 100 million free school meals is an amazing achievement. For families feeling the squeeze, easing financial pressure is priceless but free school meals deliver even more than that. When we feed kids well, the benefits are profound – better attendance, better grades, better jobs and over 20 years that stacks up to an extra £40 billion back into the economy.”