United to deliver 5,000 school meals in October
Five thousand meals will be cooked and delivered to local school children this week thanks to a partnership between FareShare, Manchester United and Manchester United Foundation.
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more families are dealing with food poverty. The impact of the virus has exacerbated an existing problem and, with unemployment rising and the economic crisis biting hard, many are struggling with reduced income. As a result, many families and children simply do not have enough food and are going hungry. This initiative does not solve the issue locally, but will make a significant difference to the lives of hundreds of families across Greater Manchester.
“We’re incredibly proud and humbled to be working with FareShare over October half-term. This initiative will go a long way to ensuring that pupils from our partner schools and families using local food-banks have fresh meals to eat, during what we know is a difficult time for many. We’ve seen first-hand how children from socially challenged backgrounds can be even more vulnerable when they’re not in school, it’s therefore imperative to be present in their lives throughout the school holidays, showing that we care and the Foundation is always here to support.”
FareShare is the UK’s biggest food charity and is a founding member of the Child Food Poverty Taskforce, set up to help end child hunger in the UK and spearheaded by Marcus Rashford.
Miranda Kaunang, Head of Development at FareShare Greater Manchester, said:
“The hardship brought on by COVID-19 has presented a challenge like nothing we’ve ever seen before. Demand for food has more than doubled and we are now distributing more than 80 tonnes of food a week – two thirds of which goes to children and families.
“This partnership with Manchester United and Manchester United Foundation comes at a crucial time – it’s never been more important to ensure vulnerable children have access to good, nutritious food and we are so grateful for their support.”
Collette Roche, Chief Operating Officer, Manchester United said:
“With our teams back playing, the attention for many has returned to what is happening on the pitch. But our work to help support those in need has not stopped and it will not stop as we face into the winter and the restrictions continue to impact our local communities.
“Many of Manchester’s children are going hungry and they are particularly vulnerable during school holidays when they cannot benefit from the meal voucher programme. In parallel with the brilliant work being done individually by Marcus Rashford, we’re proud that the club continues to step in alongside FareShare, the Foundation and their partner schools to help fill this void.”