Star footballer Marcus Rashford who has also recently acted as a political activist, has been honored by Queen Elizabeth II with a Member of the British Empire award. The award is given in recognition of his effective campaign to feed vulnerable children. The Manchester United and England’s national team striker got his MBE award in the birthday honors list, which rewarded key workers and others for their efforts to help people in need.

Rashford Campaigned for the Rights of 1.3 Million Children to Claim Free School Meals

The government had a scheme to give free school meal vouchers, but it was set to end with the school term. Rashford wrote a powerful open letter to lawmakers and backed it by using his social media accounts and the 2.8 million followers he has on Twitter. His efforts resulted in a U-turn for the policy and got lawmakers to expand the food voucher scheme to run through England’s summer holidays.

As the youngest of five children, Rashford felt both honored and humbled by the award. He vowed to continue fighting for the end of child poverty and had a personal appeal to Prime Minister Boris Johnson to extend the support for the October half-term. Rashford said this was a special moment for him, his family, and especially for his mother, who, according to him, is the actual deserving recipient of the honor.

Rashford Said the Fight to Protect Vulnerable Children Is Not Over

After having this initial success in changing the government policy, Rashford formed a child food poverty task force. It has created links with some of the biggest food brands and supermarkets in the UK to help resolve the problem. He said people should stand together to ensure no children in the UK will go to bed hungry. As the Black Lives Matter campaign was gathering momentum, Rashford became a prominent voice for the movement in professional sports across the world. He supports it on social media.

Unfortunately for sports fans, the pandemic put an end to watching their favorite athletes battle it out. Of course, the world had more important things to worry about, but now that we are slowly returning to normal life, it’s time for some sport. The English Premier League is set to resume, and here’s everything you need to know.

The Start Date

It has been many weeks since fans of Liverpool, Chelsea, Aston Villa, and the rest of the English Premier League have been able to cheer on their favorite teams. The date that Premier League fans have been waiting for is almost upon us, with June 17 being the provisional restart date.

It’s only a matter of weeks before the action heats up once more, but it’s not a guaranteed start date. Should another outbreak occur, or enough players get infected, that June 17 date will invariably be reconsidered.

Full Steam Ahead

Allowing ourselves to remain positive, the English Premier League is only a couple of weeks from restarting. Players had been keeping themselves fit while in lockdown, but they have now begun returning to their training grounds. The players resumed non-contact training, and they are being subjected to regular health checks to reduce any chances of spreading infection.

Doing It Without The Fans

One thing fans of soccer will note is that they are no longer invited to watch the games in person. The players will be playing in front of empty stadiums to ensure there is no further spreading of the virus. On the plus side, it means that every remaining game in the English Premier League will be broadcast on TV for fans to watch at home.

For soccer fans, the return of the English Premier League is exciting news. There is still the matter of naming the champions, seeing who gets relegated, and who qualifies for European competition to be settled.