A LOCAL foodbank has received a huge boost after a fundraising campaign raised over twenty thousand pounds for them.
As part of their annual charity appeal, Manchester-based brewery Joseph Holt collected almost £130,000 across its 127 pubs in the region.
Raising money through fundraising events and donations, Atherton & Leigh Foodbank was chosen as one of six community organisations to be awarded funding across Greater Manchester.
The foodbank, which has multiple donation points across the borough, provides nutritionally balanced meals to support people struggling with food bills.
As the cost of living crisis deepens, record numbers of people have been referred to the foodbank in recent months.
The Joseph Holt donation has therefore been described as an "answer to our prayers", and will go towards the running of the foodbank's warehouse which costs around £10,000 a year.
David Hughes, trustee of Atherton and Leigh Foodbank, said: “We are a self-funding charity and are entirely dependent on the generosity of the public.
"One thing that's crucial to us is a warehouse to store food correctly. So this donation is an answer to our prayers.
"We are so grateful to all the publicans and customers who gave so generously to the Joseph Holt charity appeal.
"The pubs were recovering from the pandemic closures but they still managed to support us and it means the world.
"This money will ensure that we can keep offering emergency food to families in need."
Highlighting the necessity for local foodbanks during the cost of living crisis, The Trussel Trust, which owns Atherton and Leigh Foodbank, gave out more food parcels within the North West than anywhere else in the UK last year.
Further to this, a recent survey from the Independent Food Aid Network found that 93 percent of independent food banks in the UK reported an increase or significant increase in services from the start of 2022.
A further 80 per cent of organisations reported that they have struggled with food supply issues in the past four months, while 78 per cent have noticed a drop in food and financial donations.
Grateful for the huge donation to Atherton & Leigh Foodbank, Mr Hughes continued the appeal for community support throughout the cost of living crisis.
He said that adding just one or two items to local donation points can "make the world of difference" to people in the community.
Atherton and Leigh Foodbank have donation points in supermarkets across the area as well as an online donation page.
Find out more here.
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