All these businesses in Lancaster and Morecambe are offering free food to those in need after government school meal vote defeated

The news followed the vote in Parliament last week against extending free school meals for the poorest children over the school holidays.

The bid was defeated in a Commons vote by 322 votes to 261. It came after Number 10 ruled out supporting Manchester United footballer Marcus Rashford’s campaign to guarantee meals for 1.4m children during school breaks until Easter next year.

Morecambe Bay Foodbank has also released a report showing that over the first eight months of 2020, it provided emergency food more than 20,000 times to people in the Lancaster district.

Many businesses around the country have now taken it upon themselves to offer support to struggling families - including many in Lancaster and Morecambe.

Here are the ones we have been made aware of, and you can find out more via their social media pages.

*Replenish Kitchen at 3-1-5 health centre in Lancaster is donating healthy meals to any child who is eligible for free school meals

*The Cornish Bakery in Penny Street is offering 100 packed lunches to collect from the shop - 20 lunches will be available each day from Monday-Friday

*Brittlestar Wine Bar in Morecambe has offered to make up food parcels to cover a week of lunches

*Westgate Fish and Chips and Packet Bridge Fish and Chips have received many 'pay it forward' vouchers from customers for children's meals, which will be donated to the foodbank

*The Waffle and Cookie Dough House in Morecambe is delivering free packed lunches to any families in need across LA1 to LA5

*Hodgson's Chippy in Lancaster is offering free hot meals for children who get free school meals between 11.30am and 2pm

*Firths Jewellers in Lancaster is offering packed lunches for children eligible for free school meals

*The Whale Tail Cafe in Lancaster is offering free kids' lunches to anyone normally entitled to free school meals, Monday to Friday, between noon and 2pm

*The Tollhouse Inn in Lancaster is providing free lunches for children

*Chad Tremble Dairyman is offering a free dairy pack to anyone affected by the government's decision, which includes items such as milk, juice, cheese, eggs and cereal, and has also set up a GoFundMe page

*Atkinson's Fish and Chips in Morecambe are offering free meals in their cafe to all children accompanied by an adult, as well as all kids' meals until November 1 being free in counter service takeaways

*Scale Hall Plaice in Lancaster are offering free kids' meals Monday to Friday, 11:30am to 1:30pm (helped by their fish supplier Greenwoods who are sending them a free stone of kids' portion size fresh fish on Tuesday)

*The Well Communities Food Club in Morecambe is offering current members a free bag of nutritious food during half-term

*The Borough in Lancaster is donating £5 to the foodbank for every £5 lunch board purchased

*The Crown Hotel in Morecambe is offering a hot meal for any affected child Tuesday to Saturday

*Across the Bay residential home in Morecambe has put together small food parcels to support those in need

Anyone who would like to donate to Morecambe Bay Foodbank can also text MORECAMBEBAYFOODBANK5 to 70470 to gove £5 - or change the number at the end to anything between 1 and 20 to vary the amount. Any text donations received will go towards making up holiday food parcels for half-term and Christmas.