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£40k raised for Rashford mural donated to FareShare Greater Manchester
A five-figure sum will be donated to the food poverty charity that Rashford has worked with since March 2020.
The Manc -
27th July 2021 
Thousands of pounds raised to fund the repairs of the damaged Marcus Rashford mural are set to be donated to local food charity FareShare Greater Manchester.
The Manchester United footballer announced that almost £40,000 had been contributed to fix the Withington artwork – which was defaced following England’s defeat in the Euro 2020 Final on July 11.
As original artist Akse P19 removed the graffiti, the wall turned into a symbol of unity – with hundreds gathering to write words of support across the illustration.
With these messages now set for preservation and the mural fully repaired, Rashford has confirmed the remainder of donations are being dedicated to the food poverty charity with whom he has worked since March 2020.
Rashord has helped FareShare distribute the equivalent of over 21 million meals for families who might not otherwise eat, as well as launching the Child Food Poverty Taskforce to support the National Food Strategy in a bid to tackle child hunger in the UK.
The footballer’s work with FareShare also led to two successive U-turns from the government who initially rejected the notion of extending the provision of free school meals and vouchers. 1.3 million vulnerable children could continue to access food over the holidays as a result.
Now, Rashford says the mural money will offer another boost for the charity.
Posting on Twitter, the Man Utd star said: “Thank you Withington Walls, Akse P19, to Julie who kicked this all off, and to everyone who pledged a couple of £s for its repair.
“Having raised close to £40k, those funds will now be donated to Fare Share guaranteeing that we reach more children in need this summer.”
The messages added to the Rashford mural were carefully removed by Manchester City Council on Friday (23 July) and transported to Central Library’s archives department.
Despite some experiencing some initial damage during an unexpected downpour, the council has said the majority of messages were successfully saved.
Rashford, who suffered racial abuse online following his penalty miss in the Euros final, said that watching people gather at the mural to show their support “lifted him” at “one of his lowest points”.
The messages will also continue to live on through the digital Wall of Hope – which is available to view on BT.com.
View the Wall of Hope here.
Featured image: Dunk / Flickr
