Arsenal’s Mesut Ozil supports Barnet initiative to provide students with 1,400 free school meals a day

Mesut Ozil has teamed up with Barnet Sunday Football League to provide 1,400 free lunchtime meals each day to 12 schools in Brent and the surrounding areas.

Working alongside BSFL and Stefan Peppert in conjunction with German Chefs in Knightsbridge, the Arsenal playmaker has pledged his support to the initiative.

Selected children across the country are usually entitled to a free school meal, but that is not the case during half-term holidays.

Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford has led a campaign to extend the free meals provision, but the government are yet to alter their policy.

A BSFL spokesperson told talkSPORT: “We are very grateful to Mesut Ozil and Stefan Peppert for getting involved with our initiative, and the volunteers on the project who have worked tirelessly throughout.

“We have raised over £3,000 so far, with 1,400 meals per day prepared and delivered to schools.”

Ozil, 32, is heavily involved with a number of charities, including the likes of Rays of Sunshine and a Barnet hospice.

The Arsenal outcast’s latest project saw him launch a footwear range with profits going to help children affected by the coronavirus pandemic in Italy.

Ozil’s long-term representative, Dr Erkut Sogut, revealed last year that his client had paid £240,000 to fund operations for stricken children in Brazil, while feeding 100,000 homeless people at 16 refugee camps in Turkey and Syria.

In addition to this he covered the cost of 1,000 vital operations for children worldwide and donated £81,333 to to fund aid supplies for people over the period of Ramadan back in May.

He also recently offered to pay the Gunnersaurus’ wages after Arsenal axed the popular dinosaur mascot as a result of their recent cost-cutting measures.