Atherton & Leigh foodbank are proud to announce we have partnered with a number of local and national organisations to offer a range of advice, support and options to assist people with their financial situations, to try and help them get out of food poverty and back on a level heading, with the hope of reducing the need for as much welfare assistance from charities.
The Financial Inclusion Hub will be supported by The Trussell Trust and delivered with in foodbank sessions from Citizens Advice Wigan Borough, Unify Credit Union, Leigh, Christians Against Poverty, along with other debt and financial advisers, with the aim of providing support and advice to our customers with anything from benefits, energy bills, general debt advice or deeper rooted debt and money problems.
The service was launched by Manchester’s metro Mayor, Andy Burnham on Friday 3rd Feb 2023, and attended by local councillors Debra Wailes and John Harding, along with representative from The trussell Trust and the other organisations involved in the scheme.
Andy has been a supporter of the foodbank, since our inception, when he was MP for Leigh, often helping out at our supermarket collections and pushing the need for more support. He said “I am delighted to have been invited to the launch of the Financial Inclusion Hub at Atherton & Leigh foodbank. I have supported them and the amazing work they do for the last 10 years.”
“Atherton & Leigh foodbank have been helping people in food crisis since 2013 but now with the launch of the Financial Inclusion hub, they will be to help people with debt, benefit sanctions, and other issues”
“This additional welfare support is vital for people who may have slipped through the normal welfare channels.”
Access to the service will be for customers that have been referred to the foodbank in the usual way but highlighted for support, ask for extra help or are identified by our volunteers as able to benefit from the help, so signposted to the appropriate organisation.
Warren Done, the foodbank project manager said “With over 5000 people helped by us in the last 10 months we think this service could not have come at a better time and will make a huge difference to local people, that need the kind of help and advice to hopefully help them recover from the problems that have resulted in a referral to the foodbank, or even deeper financial problems”
A sentiment that was backed up by trustee chairman, Revd Reg Sinclair, who commented ”Our aim is to help prevent people needing to come back for more food, by ensuring they have the essentials to manage day to day. Our hope is foodbanks will one day become redundant”
A huge thankyou to everyone that attended today and to Andy Burnham for launching the service. We are sure it will be a success for local people in crisis.