Page 47 - ALG Issue 2 2021
P. 47

                                   Addressing food poverty in Manchester
Since 2017 I have been compelled to help the homeless community and those struggling with food poverty; it was the same year that the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, came into office and there was a growing campaign to tackle these pertinent issues head on. Most importantly child holiday hunger.
Having two half plots at Humphrey Park Allotment in Stretford, Manchester,
I began growing surplus fruit and vegetables. Additionally, I started coordinating collections from my allotment community, which is quite a substantial size. This initiative was very much a personally driven one, but along the way I have been supported regularly by members of my community.
Weekly donations of freshly picked fruit and vegetables are delivered to ‘Reach Out to the Community’ homeless charity and St. John’s Centre Foodbank in Old Trafford. The homeless charity are currently cooking meals in a church kitchen in Stretford and delivering these meals to former rough sleepers who are now housed temporarily in hostels and hotels. This work takes place
between June to November every year.
Last year I was able to continue and coordinate donations with the Covid-19 Trafford Response Hub. We donated a car boot load of produce every week for 16 weeks from June to November.
Also, through Kate Ringrow (Trafford Housing Trust) and the Trafford Allotment Officer, Janet Long, I connected allotment sites in Stretford, Urmston, Sale and Timperley to work with the other five response hubs.
In addition to the above, St. John's Centre and I applied for social investment funding and we were awarded £2,000 by Trafford Housing Trust for the winter provision to combat holiday hunger in December 2019.
We used the money to produce 150 Christmas Food Hampers which were supplemented with fresh produce and jars of jam pickles and preserves following a ‘donate a jar’ request from all Trafford allotments via Janet Long. Over 100 jars were donated as well
as five sack loads of baking apples. A wonderful result for a much-needed cause.
This initiative was very much a personally driven one, but along the way I have been supported regularly by members of my community
     In 2021 this work continues, and preparation is underway. If anyone wants to learn more about how I run this initiative, they can contact me by email at kalwant_gill@hotmail.com.
Kal Gill-Faci
  Allotment and Leisure Gardener 47




















































































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