Kirkcaldy youngsters question Marcus Rashford in star's first Scottish event

Marcus Rashford  (Photo: Jon Super - Pool/Getty Images)Marcus Rashford  (Photo: Jon Super - Pool/Getty Images)
Marcus Rashford (Photo: Jon Super - Pool/Getty Images)
Football star Marcus Rashford brought his campaign against food poverty to Fife yesterday.

The Manchester United player staged his first event in Scotland, speaking to almost 200 youngsters from Kirkcaldy in an exclusive online Zoom call.

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It was hosted by the town’s Cottage Centre, and saw the campaigning footballer answer a host of questions.

Rashford has made a huge impact with his campaigns on child poverty and extending the free school meals into the summer holidays to support children who are starving.

He has also used his social media platform to campaign across a number of issues relating to poverty and societal change - and his open letter to the UK government calling for an end child poverty was widely credited as a major factor in its decision to change its policy on free school meals during the summer break.

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The online chat was also a first for the Cottage Centre which has led the campaign to feed and support hundreds of families in poverty across the Lang Toun - its Christmas appeal is now one of the biggest and most important, in Fife as it has grown significantly in scale.

In December it raised over £35,000 and mobilised an army of volunteers to ensure families didn’t go without across the festive season.

The footballer was introduced by Gordon Brown, former MP and Prime Minister, who highlighted the centre’s vital work in town.

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He said: “We support Marcus’ campaign - he is an inspiration to us.”

The youngsters were able to ask him about his career and his campaigns, and the star thanked everyone for their welcome.

Rashford tweeted to his 4.2million followers: “Spent my afternoon with 200 children from Kirkcaldy, Fife.

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"It was lovely to speak to you all, thank you for making me feel so welcome.

And, thanking Mr Brown, he added: “Scotland has been as much a priority to me as the rest of the UK, and it was a pleasure to connect with children from the Family Centre.”

The organisers also thanked everyone who took part in the online chat which was introduced by Marilyn Livingstone, who chairs the Cottage Family Centre.

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