Hamper hat-trick for three friends determined to help others with cost-of-living crisis

Pals Michelle Clarke, Diane Ireland and Lisa Cassidy, from Newton with Scales, have launched their third consecutive campaign to raise £5,000 for Christmas food hampers for those in need.

The fund-raising trio are hoping to reach a target of at least £5,250 to ensure that 100 families from within the Kirkham and district area, who are most in need, will each have a delicious and wholesome Christmas hamper delivered to their home in time for the big day.

Michelle Clarke said: “With several more months of hardship starting in the build-up to Christmas and with many businesses on the verge of bankruptcy, it is estimated that three million more people will face unemployment in the next few weeks.

"With the universal credit cuts, rising costs, massive inflation, even for those in work this year, we know this Christmas will be harder than ever.

“We are aware of so many people locally who already can barely afford to feed their families day to day.”

Each hamper will contain enough food to feed a family of four to six for a few days over the Christmas period, including a full Christmas dinner which will feature a 2kg turkey crown, loin of Pork, pigs in blankets, fresh vegetables, potatoes, fresh eggs, and Christmas puddings.

The hampers will include fresh meat from Graham Eyes High Class Butchers in Warton, and fresh fruit and veg from Annie’s Egg Shed in Newton.

The friends already have the generous support of several local businesses to provide food for the hampers at cost price or heavily discounted.

Any spare cash left over will be used for weekly shops for local families in January, which they did in previous years, via Diane Ireland’s ‘Fresh food for working families’ initiative.

Diane Ireland said: “We have started our fund-raising campaign earlier this year as we need to raise the money by December 4 so we can guarantee placing the 100 food orders with local suppliers, at the discounted rates they have offered.

"But also, as we want to let the families know that we will be supplying them a hamper so they don’t need to worry about feeding their family this Christmas.”

Celerity –a national IT services provider with an office in Kirkham – is one of the businesses that has already donated towards the project.

Lisa Cassidy added: “We would be so very grateful for any offer of support you can give towards this fundraising as we already have a growing list of names of families in need from our work in 2021 and 2022 and we know by Christmas the list will be even longer.”

The friends have also run hamper campaigns at Easter to support the most vulnerable people in the community.

Families are nominated for hampers or deliveries by organisations such as food banks and schools, who know those most in need.

To donate or for more information: https://www.gofundme.com/f/q8v5n-christmas-food-for-kirkham-district-families