Salford Foodbank is encouraging the community to get involved in a festive charity run on December 19 to raise funds for people facing food poverty.
The Christmas Elf Run is a partnership between Run Media City and it will offer participants to take part in a 5K or 10K run whilst raising money for the local foodbank which provides support to people experiencing hardship across the Salford area.
Foodbank manager, Emma Rapley said the partnership with Run Media City was an opportunity to raise awareness of the charity’s work and calls people to support in new ways.
She said: “It’s not something we’ve been involved with before, so it’s a great way to spread the word that people can fundraise through more than just giving food items.”
Salford Foodbank is located in MediaCity and supplies emergency food parcels containing three days worth of food to people referred to the service. It also offers toiletries, pet food and SIM cards, as well as advice and support from volunteers and services including Citizens Advice Salford.
Emma advocates that fundraising is essential to keep the charity running, with the organisation facing substantial costs in order to maintain its services and ensure there is enough food available.
She said: “As a small charity, we have a lot of costs to cover, including utilities, our van and payroll for our small staff team.
“We don’t just rely on food donations. We pay up to £8,000 per month at the moment for additional food items to make sure we’ve got enough.”
The foodbank currently allocate around 200 food parcels each week.
The charity are hopeful that the Christmas run will prompt more people to get involved.
This event is a chance for the wider community to make a difference, whether by running individually, taking part with family and friends or organising fundraising efforts through a school, college or workplace.
Emma said the need for foodbank support increases around Christmas because people face additional financial pressures during the festive period and into the new year.
Despite the challenges, the generosity of local residents during Christmas time is uplifting for Emma and she highlighted the importance of keeping support within the community.
She said: “You can really see the impact we’re having on the people we’re supporting because the food and donations all stay local to people struggling in Salford.
“Anyone can suddenly find themselves in hard times, without a job or support network. It could happen to any of us.”
For more information about the Christmas Elf Run, how to sign up, and ways to support Salford Foodbank follow this link.
