London school honours Marcus Rashford with mural

Footballer recognised for his free school meals campaign

Pupils decided an image of footballer and campaigner Marcus Rashford should adorn the walls at Gainsborough Primary School in East Ham, east London. Getty

A mural of footballer Marcus Rashford has been unveiled at an east London school in recognition of his successful free school meals campaign in England.

Teachers at Gainsborough Primary School in Newham, one of London's most deprived boroughs, asked pupils what they would like the art to depict and Marcus Rashford was the overwhelming choice – a welcome boost for the Manchester and England forward as he gears up for Euro 2020.

Josh Colwell of street art company MurWalls created the piece on Monday from an image by sports photographer Paul Cooper, after a school benefactor provided the funds.

"It was a majority which came back and said that they want to do a thank you message to Marcus Rashford for all the help that he’s done supporting the food banks and the meal tickets and everything during Covid,” said MurWalls founder Marc Silver.

“People just respect him as a person, that he stood up to the government, he stood up for what he believes in and he helped support and change people’s lives up and down the country.”

Marcus Rashford the footballer was already well established, but Marcus Rashford the campaigner came to prominence in 2020, when he brought about government U-turns on the provision of free school meal vouchers during the summer and Christmas holidays.

His campaigning extended to a partnership with FareShare, a charity that fights hunger and food waste. And in April this year, he teamed up with celebrity chef Tom Kerridge to launch an initiative aimed at teaching families on a budget how to cook healthy meals.

Gainsborough Primary School isn't the first to celebrate Marcus Rashford in mural form.

A painting of the multimillionaire footballer by street artist Akse was unveiled on the side of a Manchester cafe last November, again in tribute to his free school meals campaign.

Marcus Rashford: from footballer to campaigner - in pictures