The equivalent of more than 75,000 meals have been provided to food banks by Deliveroo customers in Manchester, helping the most vulnerable in our communities through the cost of living crisis.
The huge sum of meals have gone to the Trussell Trust‘s nationwide network since April 2022, thanks to the delivery platform’s partnership with the charity.
More than 36,000 Deliveroo customers in our city have rounded up their orders and made donations at the check-out.
This has then helped to provide meals and vital support (like programmes to help people maximise their incomes) to food banks around the Trussell Trust network across the country.
Deliveroo’s partnership with the food bank charity aimed to provide two million meals and vital support for people facing hunger across the country, as part of the next phase of Deliveroo’s Full Life campaign.
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And it has smashed that target, in just nine months.
To celebrate, Deliveroo has committed to matching customer donations on Saturday 4 March, meaning there’ll be double the number of meals going to food banks.
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Manchester was the highest-donating city after London.
The Trussell Trust is an anti-poverty charity which supports a UK-wide network of more than 1,300 food bank centres and works towards a more just future where no one needs emergency food.
The partnership marks the first time Deliveroo in the UK has enabled a round-up feature on its app for customers to add a donation when they check-out their orders, with all proceeds going to the Trussell Trust and its network of food banks.
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Carlo Mocci, chief business officer UK & Ireland at Deliveroo, said: “Our partnership with the Trussell Trust continues to provide vital support to those people in the UK facing hardship during a time when cost of living pressures are increased.
“Thank you to all of our generous Deliveroo customers in Manchester who have contributed more than 75,000 meals to food banks, helping us reach our goal of providing two million meals to people facing hunger.”
Danni Malone, director of network Programmes and Innovation at Trussell Trust, said: “We are extremely grateful to Deliveroo for the support that they have provided over the last year to our network of more than 1,300 food bank centres, including many in Manchester.
“Food banks are experiencing one of their busiest years yet as they have distributed millions of emergency food parcels to people who can’t afford essentials like heating and food, while also battling against rising operational costs.
“The generosity of Deliveroo and their customers has been invaluable, helping ensure that food banks in the Trussell Trust network are able to support everyone who turns to them, as well as funding wider support programmes that help lift people out of poverty and ensure they can afford the essentials.”
Featured image: Supplied
News
Former Manchester police officer jailed after sexually assaulting a child while on duty
Emily Sergeant
A former Manchester police officer has been jailed after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting a child while he was on duty.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that, on 29 December 2023, Dean Dempster was one of three officers responding to a domestic incident involving an adult and children, and it was while he was taking an account from a six-year-old girl, away from his colleagues, that he sexually abused her when he should have been there to protect her.
After GMP investigated a complaint received later that evening in relation to the incident, Dempster was immediately confronted by his supervisor when he returned to duty the next morning.
The 35-year-old was arrested that day by officers in Oldham, and then “relentlessly pursued” by GMP’s Professional Standards Directorate to “explore any further evidence of offending” in an investigation directed by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).
A former officer has been jailed for sexually abusing a child on duty last year.
Swift action from local officers made sure Dean Dempster never stepped foot in the community again.
Our unit for professional standards has brought Dempster to justice for his despicable crimes. pic.twitter.com/IN2HQOHQEw
A review of Dempster’s electronic devices revealed “further serious offending”, GMP revealed, including the making of indecent images of children.
Sadly, the police investigation also found images on Dempster’s mobile phone taken from his body-worn video camera at the incident in December 2023 of a second clothed child, and of another clothed child at a separate incident dating back to 2022 – with the victims of both families having been made aware, and kept updated throughout the investigation
Dempster was convicted and sacked “at the earliest legal opportunity” by the Chief Constable at an accelerated misconduct hearing in May this year, and he has since admitted six counts of making indecent images, and two counts of Misconduct in Public Office.
After pleading guilty, the former officer has now been jailed for nine years, and has also been ordered to sign the sex offenders’ register for life.
Deputy Chief Constable, Terry Woods, said Dempster “represents the very worst of society”.
“He is not a police officer, he is a child sex offender, a criminal, and he has no right to be near police uniform or serve the public,” DCC added. “Dempster was rightfully arrested and charged before he could ever work in our communities again.”
Featured Image – GMP
News
Manchester’s libraries will become ‘warm spaces’ with free hot drinks and Wi-Fi again this winter
Emily Sergeant
Manchester’s libraries are set to become ‘warm spaces’ offering free hot drinks and internet access to those in need again this winter.
After tens of thousands of local residents visited the “stigma-free safe spaces” to escape and take refuge from the cold back in both 2022 and 2023, Manchester City Council has decided to reintroduce its popular ‘Warm Welcome Spaces’ scheme again this year during the chillier months.
22 libraries across Manchester are, once again, taking part in the scheme this time around.
Designed to “provide support to people who need it” over some of the most challenging months of the year when temperatures drop, the Council’s scheme is offering a range of different services – and they’re all for free of charge.
Free hot drinks, Wi-Fi and internet access, data SIM cards, and newspapers are just some of the things people can make the most of inside these ‘warm spaces’, as well as get access to information, advice, and extra signposting to other support services they made need in the city.
There will be age-friendly spaces to connect with others, story times once a week at 11am for children under five, and even weekly digital drop-ins too.
Manchester Central Library, Miles Platting Community Library, Hulme High Street Library, Beswick Library, Longsight Library, and Abraham Moss Library are just some of the libraries taking part this winter.
Winter is a challenging time for households, but your library has something for everyone.
They are warm welcoming spaces to have a chat, get advice and get a data SIM to get online.
All 22 libraries will be free to enter, and the Council says people can stay in them “for as long as you like”.
“Heading towards winter, we are very much aware that the cost of living crisis still continues to affect many families across Manchester,” explained Councillor Bev Craig, who is the leader of Manchester City Council.
“This is why, more so than ever, we as a Council continue to do our upmost to support people who may be struggling.
“Our participation in the Warm Welcome Spaces programme, combined with our Cost of Living support package shows we are committed entirely to helping any many people as possible during this difficult period.”
Find your local free ‘Warm Welcome Space’ in Manchester here.