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First student-run foodbank opens its doors

24 Oct 2013

Students in Manchester have successfully launched the first ever student-run foodbank to support their local community.

Joey Ferrigno and Eamon O’Brien

No other university in the UK has been able to launch such an initiative to support individuals and families in their local neighbourhoods.

The project was launched by a team of 15 students from the University’s St Vincent de Paul Society, a Catholic voluntary group concerned about increasing levels of food poverty in the city.

Project manager Joey Ferrigno, who graduated in July said: “We’re only open one day a week for a two-hour session but we hope to expand this to three sessions a week. We feel that we will be busy due to the high levels of poverty in Central Manchester.”

The aim of the Manchester Central Foodbank is to provide support for disadvantaged people from the University’s surrounding areas, some of the most deprived suburbs of the city.

Student volunteer Eamon O’Brien said: “We know many students who want to make a difference in their local communities. There are fewer more important issues in Manchester right now than food poverty.”

Julian Skyrme, the University’s Director for Social Responsibility, said: “It’s said that what Manchester does today the rest of the world does tomorrow. This student-led Foodbank is another first for Manchester and is part of many other examples we launched this week to highlight the difference our University is making to society.”