The Welcome Centre food bank in Huddersfield is taking part in the Big Give Christmas Challenge – which runs for one week only starting at midday on Tuesday November 30.
The Big Give Christmas Challenge, launching on Giving Tuesday, is one of the biggest match funding campaigns in the UK where all donations made to charities taking part will be doubled from a match funding pot.
A sad reality for so many in our community is that during the winter months already tight budgets must be further stretched to provide basic necessities. That’s why The Welcome Centre is proud to partner with the Big Give Christmas Challenge to double donations.
The campaign which runs until midday on December 7 will fund festive food packs for up to 500 clients in the week before Christmas.
The packs will include a freshly-prepared Christmas meal with all the trimmings, some festive treats such as selection boxes or chocolates, alongside their regular food pack. The Welcome Centre is also providing a meal to suit other dietary needs.
Emma Greenough, fundraising manager at The Welcome Centre, said: “The generosity of the community really comes into its own around Christmas time and we wanted to give our supporters the chance to make one donation that will have double the impact.
“We know Christmas is a challenging time for many families and after what has been a really difficult year for thousands of people we just want to make life a little easier.
“The impact of the £80 a month cut to Universal Credit has already been seen at our food bank, with many clients explaining they just can’t make ends meet.
“In addition, the doubling of some energy tariffs is really going to push some families who were just about surviving over the financial edge.”
For donations to be doubled they must be made via The Welcome Centre’s Festive 500 link which goes live at midday on Tuesday November 30. Donations made any other way will not be doubled.
If The Welcome Centre achieves its target and the match funds run out, donations will still be taken but will not be matched.
Any extra money raised will be used to provide food and toiletry packs after the Christmas period. However, in the unfortunate event, not enough money is raised during the challenge The Welcome Centre will still guarantee that every individual still receives their pack, making sure clients still have Christmas lunch.
READ MORE: Some of the challenges faced by families helped by The Welcome Centre
Emma added: “We want to say a huge thank you to our supporters who made pledges for our match pot as well as The Reed Foundation who are championing our cause and added an extra £2,000 to the matching pot.
“To everyone that wants to donate do it through the Festive 500 link and make your donations work harder this winter.”
The Welcome Centre, which started 25 years ago, is one of the largest food banks in the North of England and is at the forefront of helping those who are in crisis.
From job loss, debt, eviction, domestic violence and more, The Welcome Centre strives to assist all those in need.
READ MORE: How Community Connections are helping change lives in Huddersfield
