Manchester United follow Marcus Rashford's lead by providing 80,000 meals for vulnerable families over Christmas with first-team stars to donate £250,000 to appeal for presents and food parcels
* Manchester United are helping to provide 80,000 meals for vulnerable families
* United’s stars have also pledged £250,000 to the appeal over the festive period
* Fans are being asked to donate Christmas presents and food parcels if possible
* They are teaming up with FareShare, part of the Marcus Rashford's task force
Manchester United are helping to provide 80,000 meals for vulnerable families this Christmas.
Together with the Manchester United Foundation and food charity FareShare, the club are supporting the local community as part of the foundation’s Santa’s Red Helpers Christmas appeal.
United’s stars have also pledged £250,000 to the appeal which encourages fans to donate Christmas presents and food parcels where possible for those who may otherwise go without.
FareShare has so far donated 33 tonnes of food to the campaign which will be turned into 80,000 meals by the club’s chefs in the kitchens at Old Trafford and delivered to children and families from foundation partner schools, food banks and other external charities over the festive period.
Manchester United are helping to provide 80,000 meals for vulnerable families this Christmas. FareShare has so far donated 33 tonnes which will be turned into 80,000 meals by the club’s chefs in the kitchens at Old Trafford. United’s stars have also pledged £250,000 to the appeal which encourages fans to donate Christmas presents and food parcels. In October United prepared and distributed 5,000 free school meals during half-term break
It follows a similar initiative in October when United prepared and distributed 5,000 free school meals during the half-term break in collaboration with FareShare as part of the response to the Covid pandemic.
United ambassador Denis Irwin, who visited the FareShare depot, said: ‘It’s an inspirational and incredible operation, one that is managed so well by FareShare GM – full credit to them. The amount of families and children in need, people who need the most basic things like food. It’s an eye opener.
‘Manchester United is a huge football club, but we are committed to working in the community and the foundation does a tremendous job.
‘It’s a great effort on behalf of Manchester United and FareShare GM that we’ve partnered up so we can deliver these 80,000 parcels to partner schools and charities around Christmas. It can be a tough time for many people and unfortunately it’s only going to get tougher for some.’
FareShare, the UK’s biggest food charity and a founding member of the Child Food Poverty Taskforce set up by United striker Marcus Rashford, is set to provide 70 tonnes of food this week to more than 250 frontline charities and community groups including community centres, food banks and homeless shelters.
United’s chief operating officer Collette Roche said: ‘2020 has been a really challenging year for so many across the country. The issue of food poverty has been significant, worsened by the Covid-19 crisis and aggravated further during the holidays when many children cannot get access to free school meals.
‘Many have rallied to this particular cause and we are proud to be able to play our part. We’ve scaled up our partnership with the Foundation and with FareShare GM, bringing our resources together, to produce 80,000 meals over the festive period. We thank all the fans and staff who have contributed to this important project.’
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