<from left to right; Phil Jones (Director of New Services at The Calico Group), Lord Wajid Khan, Dr. Sarah Ward (Chief Executive of Burnley FC in the Community)>
A donation from the charity of Lord Wajid Khan, former Mayor of Burnley, has highlighted the continued food shortage faced by many local families, as the appeal for support is renewed.
This year the Community Kitchen, operated by Burnley FC in the Community on behalf of Burnley Together, has facilitated around 6,000 food parcels feeding 13,422 people, of which nearly 5,000 were children.
Lord Khan said ‘supporting the fight against food poverty was one of my key priorities during my tenure as Mayor of Burnley, and I continue to support the efforts being made through my role in the House of Lords. The important thing to highlight is that despite the pandemic not being as prevalent in the news as it once was, its impact is being felt more than ever by thousands of local families. Donations are needed, so please help if you are able to.’
Phill Jones, Director of New Services at The Calico Group, adds ‘It’s vitally important that we continue to be able to offer this service in our town helping people when they need it most. The generosity of Lord Khan and of all of those who continue to donate food and other items is key to us meeting the needs of our community.’
Dr. Sarah Ward, Chief Executive of Burnley FC in the Community, put into context the importance of those donations; ‘demand on the food bank is not going away and donations, such as the one from Lord Khan, are more important than ever. We estimate that the monetary value of a weekly, single person parcel would cost £22.13 if it were purchased at a national supermarket. If this amount of food was provided for each person via our parcels, we will have distributed nearly £300,000 worth of stock.’
We are renewing their appeal for help as the impact of the pandemic continues to affect local families, even after the lockdowns. You can drop off non-perishable food at the fixed donation points operated by Burnley FC in the Community, and Burnley Together is also looking for businesses to become a collection point to make it easier for their staff to donate. Any businesses interested in helping in this way should contact Burnley Together on 01282 686402.
If you live in Burnley and need the help of Burnley Together, you can contact them on 01282 686402 or via Facebook (@BurnleyTogether).