Fundraising has been an amazing and vital part of life in Liverpool. His & Hers have attended some epic fundraising events, and been privileged to be involved in one or two. Covid-19 has altered all our lives in unforeseen ways. We thought we would fly the flag for some great causes.
WORDS: Jean Hill
We would like to raise a shout for hospitality in the region, because it has given us so much pleasure in recent times. There is a Liverpool City Region emergency fund that local hospitality and leisure industries can apply for. You can still click and collect, access delivery and do take-away from your favourite restaurants, if you do not feel able to visit for a sit-down meal. Consider gift cards: it all helps.
Mowgli has always been committed to raising funds for chosen charities. Funding was designed to give something back to the communities where the restaurants have been so successful. Historically the Trust has donated up to £500k a year to chosen charitable partners. And, of course, Mowgli restaurants create and serve delicious Indian street food. For which we are so appreciative.
Liverpool restaurants, including Maray, The Art School, Fazenda, Lunya, Hope Street Hotel, Hanover Street Social and Viva Brazil, helped Action Against Hunger to raise £1.1 million. Action Against Hunger joined forces with top restaurants in Liverpool and other UK cities, to ensure children were not blighted by malnutrition. Customers had the opportunity to add a small donation to their bill.
Continuation of free school meals vouchers and help through Half Term and other holidays
Marcus Rashford’s plan to extend free school meals over half-term proved initially unsuccessful. Happily, he has a connection to FareShare’s national network of charitable food distributors. Locally, many organisations are stepping up the plate, to make sure children do not go hungry during half-term.
Liverpool City Council: Mayor Joe Anderson pledged free school meal vouchers will help families with children (estimated at 20,000) who cannot access free school meals during holidays.
https://liverpool.gov.uk/communities-and-safety/emergency-planning/coronavirus/
Wallasey MP Angela Eagle has circulated contact details of organisations where lunch and food boxes are available in Wirral during half-term:
jenni@wirraldt.org.uk
moira@wirraldt.org.uk
Hope for New Brighton: shirlmbowen@gmail.com
Charlotte’s Brightside: angie.churchill@yahoo.co.uk
Nightingales, Argyle Street, Birkenhead
Hampers for Wirral Ways clients with children: damien.prescott@cgl.org.uk
Cre8ing Careers – Wirral-wide: Food hampers and activities,
lynne.howe@crea8ingcareers.com
Aubergine Café in West Kirkby is offering a free sandwich to local children eligible for free school meals (during weekdays at half-term). People need to register confidentially.
https://www.aubergine.cafe/kids
Liverpool FC are stepping in to feed hungry kids to provide free school meals to the poorest families in the area over the half-term holiday. LFC will also be donating £200,000 to Liverpool North food bank.
Everton in the Community is the official charity of Everton Football Club and is proud to deliver a range of programmes to promote health, education, social inclusion and equality of opportunity to over 30,000 participants every year across Merseyside and North Wales using the power of sport.
Manchester FC unites to support children.
Tranmere Rovers Community Charity shop: located in Birkenhead Grange precinct aims to raise money to further fund important work and initiatives to help those who need it in our local communities.
https://www.tranmererovers.co.uk/
Knowsley Kitchen
Knowsley Kitchen is inspired by Lucy Antal (Alchemic Kitchen) and Dave Critchley (executive chef at Lu Ban, and founder of The LIDS Delivery Service). This Knowsley enterprise works with local organisations to build upon the appetite within the voluntary, community and faith sector in Knowsley to build a sustainable food network and respond to communities during Covid-19 and beyond. From just £4, you can order a ‘pay it forward’ lunch box for a young person.
Alder Hey Hospital Charity
Alder Hey Children’s Hospital’s long-term vision is to create a dedicated children’s and young people’s healthcare campus. The new ‘Clinical Hub’ will include new mental health outpatient facilities and a brand new 12 bed, specialist, inpatient, mental health unit.
The Covid-19 crisis resulted in the cancelling of many hospital fundraising activities. This has left a shortfall of over £1 million in income. Alder Hey uses this funding for new equipment, research, and crucial projects, as well as arts and crafts, physio activity pack and well-being services for front-line staff. Remarkably, 330,000 children are treated each year.
https://www.alderheycharity.org/
Zoё’s Place Trust
Zoё’s Placeis a registered charity providing palliative, respite and end-of-life care to babies and infants aged from birth to five years suffering from life-limiting or life-threatening conditions. This care is provided in a caring, safe, environment: Zoё’s Place Baby Hospices.
It is a 6-bed hospice, with the age range of 0-5years. This is not just care for the baby, but for the whole family. The intention is to make life as easy as possible for families dealing with heartbreak. The hospice offers counselling sessions, sibling support, and activity days.
https://www.zoes-place.org.uk/liverpool/default.aspx
Craft drinks startup: Tom Savano supports the Trussell Trust
Collaborating with other small, owner-run artisan food producers, Tom Savano has created the ultimate craft food and drink hamper for Christmas. All profits raised going to charity, feeding impoverished families in aid of Trussell Trust.
The hampers themselves offer support to local, independent food and drink producers, providing revenue when the UK economy is at a critical point. In addition to gifting your loved ones with delicious products, this helps hard working independent businesses over Christmas.
To gift the lovely Christmas hamper to family and friends this year and give a little love and kindness to those who need it most.
The Trussell Trust Food Banks
Trussell Trust support a national network of food banks. The aim is to supply emergency food and support to people struggling short term or longer, and to campaign to end the need for food banks in the UK.
In the UK, something like 14 million people are struggling with food poverty – including 4.5 million children. We support more than 1,200 food bank centres in the UK to provide a minimum of three days’ nutritionally-balanced emergency food to people who have been referred in crisis. Trussell Trust bring together and draw on the experiences of food banks in their vast network to confront some of the structural economic issues.
Liverpool:
Wirral Food Bank exists to try and make sure that no-one in their local community has to go hungry, but help is needed to help make this happen. A gift of financial support, time, business partnership and food can make a real, vital difference.
West Cheshire Food Bank was established with a simple philosophy. They believe in sharing food, challenging injustice and promoting dignity. There is a dramatically increased need for food and money donations because of Covid-19.
Social Supermarkets
This is just one example: Wake up Wallasey. You can contact: St Luke’s Church, Breck Road, Poulton, and St Paul’s Church, Seacombe, through the web-site. Check for opening times. There is a strong community feel with activities that bring people together. Communities can help each other in positive ways, especially during a pandemic that affects us all.
There will be other social supermarkets in the Liverpool region and elsewhere. Below is a link to social supermarkets opening in Liverpool (one just opening in Walton).
The Rockpoint Community Project, New Brighton
Danny Davies, of Rockpoint Leisure, owner of Habibi restaurant, and Shelbie Rolfe are already making a difference. They are at the forefront of establishing a community hub within New Brighton for young people. The plan is to provide a point of contact in a crisis and practical support for those, predominantly young males, who may find themselves at a loss in finding a meaningful future for themselves. There is a connection with a training company that Danny Davies previously owned, so that young people could train in hospitality or care. There are plans for workshops where young people can acquire techy skills. It all about giving something back to the community by being there for a young person who might be really struggling. Oh and creating wonderful murals in Victoria Road to brighten our lives.
https://www.rockpointleisure.com/
https://www.wakeupwallasey.org/social-supermarkets
https://www.companyshopgroup.co.uk/
Related read: Considered acts of kindness: organisations delivering in spades, in a crisis