Manchester Airport workers’ donations to feed dozens of families this summer
· Colleagues from Manchester Airport and various businesses working on site have collected several crates of food, toiletries and other essentials for those facing hardship
· Collection organised in response to the airport’s Feed a Family challenge, highlighting the plight of lower-income families in neighbouring communities over school summer holidays
· Donations go to the Message Community Grocery in Sharston and The Welcome Café in Shaw Heath, Knutsford
Staff working at Manchester Airport have clubbed together to collect food, toiletries and other essential goods for distribution to local food banks over the school summer holidays.
The Feed a Family scheme, which has been spearheaded by the Airport Community Network, was open to colleagues working for the airport and for a number of other employers based on the site, such as airlines, retailers and construction firms.
A huge variety of goods were donated, including pasta, rice and tinned fruit and vegetables; household necessities such as toilet roll and washing up liquid; and toiletries such as shampoo, toothpaste and soap - as well as treats for children to enjoy in their school holidays, such as sweets, chocolates and toys.
Items collected were delivered to the Message Community Grocery in Sharston, and The Welcome Café in Shaw Heath, Knutsford, on Thursday.
Sam Hawthorne, Enterprise Director at The Message Trust, said: “We are grateful to the Airport Community Network for this donation. The Message Community Grocery is open for the people of Manchester, helping to keep families fed and give members access to support too. This is particularly important over the school summer holiday period when children may not have access to the school meals they usually rely on during term time.”
Chris Woodroofe, Managing Director at Manchester Airport, said: “We are delighted with the terrific response this appeal received from colleagues across the airport community.
“With more than one in four children now living in poverty, the school summer holidays can be quite a daunting time for lower-income families, many of whom rely on school meal provision during term time.
“Manchester Airport and its partners are committed to supporting our neighbouring communities and this appeal is one of the many ways in which we are putting that commitment into action.”
Colleagues from partner organisations across the Airport Community Network provided items for the collection, including Cavu, Mace, NATS, Holiday Inn Express, Double Tree by Hilton and MediaFour.