Young Cobblers academy player nets £750 for Marcus Rashford campaign

A Northampton Town academy under-12 player has raised hundreds of pounds for vulnerable families in the town as part of Marcus Rashford's food poverty campaign.

Jack Maltby-Smith asked his family and friends to sponsor the amount of goals he scored in his fixtures last weekend against 'difficult side' Stoke City.

This is because he wanted to help to buy free lunches for children during the half-term break who are going hungry.

Instead of sponsoring the striker with just £1 per goal, like he asked for, many fundraisers have been supporting him in their droves with generous donations.

Forty-nine people [at the time of writing] have helped him so-far to bag £760 through the Crowdfunding page his mum Sarah has set up.

Manchester United player Marcus Rashford has been the face of the free school meal campaign, which has seen the Government hand out food vouchers to the poorest children across Easter and Summer holidays.

Although a Labour motion to extend the scheme this half-term was voted down by Parliament, Northamptonshire County Council has stepped in this week to give eligible children a £15 food voucher. The 17,001 vouchers - costing £255,015 - are being funded using the money received from central government and provided to the council for COVID-19-related costs, which includes support for children.

If you are a parent whose children are eligible for free school meals and you are still not sure how to access food vouchers for half-term click here.