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National
Elaine McCallig

Marcus Rashford once again proves an inspiration to us all as he receives honorary doctorate

Footballer Marcus Rashford MBE said receiving his honorary doctorate the day after the universal credit uplift was cut is “bittersweet”.

Rashford, 23, was honoured with the accolade from The University of Manchester in recognition of his work in tackling child poverty and for his sporting achievements on the football pitch.

Speaking at the ceremony yesterday, he said that families may now be faced with having to choose between heating and eating after the £20 “lifeline” has been taken away.

He said: “Yesterday, millions of families across the UK lost a lifeline and a means of staying afloat. A move that could see child poverty rise to 1 in 3 children. For that reason, today is a little bit bittersweet.”

In an interview with BBC Breakfast, the England and Manchester United footballer said there was once a time when the £20 uplift would have made a “massive difference” to his family and acknowledged that for many, this is still their reality.

He said: “Whether it’s that little bit of extra food and drinks that are in the house, that’s the difference that it makes, but also just the happiness and the stress relief that would have been on my mum and my older brothers and sisters. It would have been huge, it would have been a lot more calm in the household.

“It’s one less thing for parents to worry about.”

Addressing the government’s estimation that keeping the £20 uplift long-term could cost £6 billion a year, Rashford highlighted that the cost of living has increased with people now having to choose between eating and keeping their home warm. He also mentioned other worries people may have, such as the price of fuel and electricity as well as food shortages.

The iconic footballer is renowned for his work in ending child poverty and hunger.

Last year he campaigned for the government to extend free school meals for the duration of the summer and just a few weeks ago, he launched a new campaign with The Food Foundation to encourage people to write to their MPs to highlight the issue of child food poverty.

Rashford also launched a book club for disadvantaged children earlier this year.

He topped this year’s Sunday Times 2021 Giving List after raising more than £20 million for food charity FareShare. FareShare estimates that thanks to Rashford’s work, they were able to distribute the equivalent of over 21 million meals for children and families.

Prior to last night’s ceremony, Rashford has been very vocal about his wish to see the £20 uplift remain in place to help struggling families.

Rashford is the youngest recipient of an honorary degree from the University of Manchester. His fellow Manchester United club legends Sir Alex Ferguson and Sir Bobby Charlton were previously honoured by the university.

When presenting him with the doctorate, the University of Manchester’s President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell said: “His ongoing charity work and high-profile campaigns not only help millions of people across the country, but inspire many more to try and make a difference themselves. Long may it continue.”

Twitter was full of well wishes and messages of congratulations for the footballer after he received the degree, with the Liverpool Echo’s Liam Thorp quipping “sometimes heroes do wear capes!”.

Rashford’s old club, Fletcher Moss Rangers Football Club, also congratulated the star.

Rashford hasn’t just fed countless children and families, he’s also boosted people’s spirits and served as an inspiration to all of us. Considering how much Rashford has done for the nation, it’s a shame some Tory MPs don’t seem to recognise him.

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