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Rashford visits food bank charity as he vows to continue fight against child hunger

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

VIDEO SHOWS: FOOTBALLER MARCUS RASHFORD VISITING A FOOD BANK CHARITY / SOUNDBITE FROM RASHFORD / B-ROLL OF RASHFORD TRAINING

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UK (OCTOBER 22, 2020) (BBC - NO USE UK)

1. MANCHESTER UNITED FOOTBALLER MARCUS RASHFORD LOADING FOOD INTO CAR AT FARESHARE FOOD BANK CHARITY, WHICH IS NAMING A NEW WAREHOUSE AFTER HIS MOTHER MELANIE (MUTE)

2. RASHFORD TALKING TO MAYOR OF MANCHESTER, ANDY BURNHAM (MUTE)

3. SOUNDBITE (English) MANCHESTER UNITED FOOTBALL MARCUS RASHFORD SAYING:

"People have opinions, whether they understand fully what the families are going through, is another conversation. But because of that it is easy for me to sort of dismiss a lot of the people that are making an opinion. Because I know for sure, a lot of them speaking the way that they are speaking is so insensitive about the issue and they have definitely not been through it themselves. So for me, I'll take that all day long, as long as we start to see improvements going forwards for the people that are in need of it."

4. RASHFORD TALKING TO BURNHAM (MUTE)

5. RASHFORD LOADING FOOD INTO CAR WITH HIS MOTHER, MELANIE (MUTE)

6. RASHFORD'S MOTHER (MUTE)

7. RASHFORD WITH HIS MOTHER POSING FOR PHOTOS (MUTE)

8. RASHFORD'S MOTHER HOLDING 'FARE SHARE' PLAQUE (MUTE)

BURTON-ON-TRENT, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (FILE - OCTOBER 11, 2018) (FATV - ACCESS ALL)

9. RASHFORD WALKING OUT ONTO PITCH FOR ENGLAND TRAINING

ZELENOGORSK, RUSSIA (FILE - JULY 4, 2018) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

10. RASHFORD PASSING BALL DURING TRAINING DRILL

STORY: Manchester United's Marcus Rashford says he has been "blown away" by local businesses offering support for his free school meals campaign after MPs voted against extending the provision into the half-term and Christmas holidays.

On Thursday (October 22) Rashford visited the FareShare charity - which delivers food to those in need - where a new warehouse has been named after his mother, Melanie.

MPs on Wednesday (October 21) voted against the Labour motion which would have extended free school meals over the holidays until Easter 2021, but dozens of local businesses have since come forward to offer their support in the form of takeaway meals.

Rashford, who was awarded an MBE for his work in helping vulnerable children during the COVID-19 crisis, forced a government U-turn in July when he won his battle to ensure free meals during the school summer holidays.

Last week, the 22-year-old proposed extending the campaign for families receiving financial assistance from the government, with a petition getting more than 300,000 signatures.

"Blown away by news of local businesses stepping up to fill the voucher scheme deficit during the October half term," Rashford tweeted, sharing screenshots of messages from restaurants across Britain.

"Selflessness, kindness, togetherness, this is the England I know."

(Production: Iain Axon)