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The Mayor of London has announced a unique £3.5 million free meal scheme during school holidays and weekends for children from low-income families.

The mayor’s office said the emergency funding was scheduled for 12 months.

The money will go to charities and partners in the capital, with an estimated 6.9 million additional meals to be provided under the plans.

More than two million children receive free school meals, reported the Department for Education (DfE).

The London plan should start in time for the Easter holidays.

The mayor’s office announced its partnership with food charity The Felix Project, which enables the delivery of up to meals to children “of all ages” who need it most.

As part of the plans, funds will be given to the Mayor’s Fund for London, which provides free meals to low-income families and young people through more than 340 community partners and 80 centres.

The Felix Project, a charity that works to reduce food waste, will also receive investment to expand its offer of prepared and home-cooked meals during school holidays.

It follows similar schemes by London councils in Newham, Islington, Southwark and Tower Hamlets to offer free school meals to primary or secondary pupils, alongside a free school meals scheme for primary pupils launched by the Mayor of London last month. .

Charlotte Hill OBE, chief executive of The Felix Project, said “the supply of vital food continues during school holidays.”

“We are delighted to receive this incredible support from the Mayor of London and will be working with The Mayor’s Fund for London so that we can provide this lifeline for next year. I hope it will help low-income families reduce the increasing pressure on their budgets.” said.

A DfE spokesperson said: “More than a third of pupils in England now receive free school meals in educational settings, up from one in six in 2010, and we have made additional investment in the National School Breakfast Scheme to extend the program for another year, backed by up to £30m.”