Louise Powell
(Picture: Topher McGrillis)My earliest memories are engrained with the awareness that we had nothing. They used to collect everyone’s dinner money on Monday morning for the week in these green envelopes. Lots of other children would pass the envelope forward, it must have come to £3.25 for the week in the Nineties. But I remember thinking, wow it must be amazing to have that level of money to be able to pay that.
In reception I never worried about my situation, but when I went to secondary school, it felt shameful to be on free school meals. We had someone who would tick our names off a register of free lunch. It was very visible. Sometimes the meaner kids would deride me and take my milk carton, not knowing that was the only drink I got all day. Other times they would say things like: “I can’t believe my dad has to pay for your lunch.” It made me determined to get on in education. I understood that doing well academically was the only way to escape this cycle. My parents focused a lot on my studies because they knew how crucial it was for my future to achieve top grades.
