Manchester United star, Marcus Rashford managed to pick up his MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) from Prince William, who's hosting his first investiture since the COVID pandemic began.
24 year old Rashford got the honour for services to vulnerable children after a high-profile campaign to force the government to change policy over free school meal vouchers during lock down. It meant many children were able to get the meals during the holidays.
He dedicated the MBE to his mother as he vowed to continue his campaign work, adding that his motivation was to give youngsters the things he did not have when growing up.
Speaking after a Windsor Castle investiture ceremony, the striker said he would be giving his MBE to mum Melanie Rashford, who he took along to the ceremony. He said: "It seems like there's a lot going on but for me to put it in the simplest way - I'm trying to give children the things I didn't have when I was kid. If I did have, I would have been much better off and had many more options in my life.
"I'm just giving them the opportunity and I think they deserve the opportunity, what child doesn't. For me it's a punishment for them not to be getting things like meals or supplies of books. And if we can all come together to make these small changes - they are small changes but they become big changes once you see the rewards of it - I see a generation that's coming after me as a very special generation. They just need a bit of guidance and pointing in the right direction and what I'm doing is giving them that."
The footballer is continuing to campaign on child food poverty issues and has formed a taskforce on the issue that includes major supermarkets and food brands. Most recently, Rashford urged people to write to their MP demanding an end to the 'child hunger pandemic', stating that 'devastatingly', child food poverty is getting worse.
He now aids the National Food Strategy, whose strategy has three recommendations aimed to guarantee that every child at risk of going hungry gets some good food every day. Rashford has also been outspoken on racial inequality, Universal Credit and has supported campaigns to aid children with hearing impairments.
He was also recently named in the Powerlist 2022 - the annual list of the UK’s most powerful people of African, African Caribbean and African American heritage, which honours outstanding men and women across business, science, technology and the arts.
Last month, he also received an honorary doctorate from the University of Manchester. He said it felt “bittersweet” collecting his honorary degree for tackling child poverty the day after the Universal Credit uplift was retracted.
Marcus used his speech at the ceremony at Old Trafford to highlight how the Government’s cut meant “millions of families across the UK lost a lifeline”. He became the youngest recipient of an honorary doctorate from the university and used his speech to urge politicians to get “out into communities” like his hometown of Wythenshawe in South Manchester.