ALDI MANCHESTER - ARNDALE HOUSE

Humans MCR are Manchester's food bank on wheels. We provide nutritionally balanced, culturally appropriate food parcels for the residents of Manchester, Salford and Bury. Once a client is referred into us, we then deliver the food parcel to their doorstep. We operate every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Manchester Young Community Champions provides a youth engagement project based at West Gorton Youth Centre 2 evenings a week, working with children and young people with additional needs affecting their mental health and emotional well-being. We provide a safe environment for young people to come and engage with a range of activities and events, enabling them to stay off the streets which helps to reduce anti-social behaviour. The activities we provide are multi-sports, cooking/baking arts and crafts, peer mentor led group sessions, 1-1 sessions, outings and residential trips, and we are reliant on securing funding in order to deliver this service. The areas in Manchester in which we focus are amongst the top 20% of disadvantaged communities in the Country as identified by the Indices of Multiple Deprivation, and a high proportion of our families are on benefits or are on a low income. In Ardwick alone over 50% of young people are in poverty or experience deprivation. (HMRC data report) As a result, members of these communities seek positive outlets for community activity and rely heavily on subsidised public and/or voluntary sector services to maintain their health, emotional well-being and social needs. Given this, we provide our children and young people with either a hot meal or snack during every session, which supports the family budget, and our families rely on this provision. In order for us to continue to provide food to our children and young people, we would like to apply for redistributed food donations from M&S to be received on a regular basis. Since the Coronavirus pandemic, we have been working creatively to continue to engage with and provide for our children and young people, and have done this by delivering food parcels to families on an outreach basis, which has enabled us to ensure that we can still provide meals for our children and young people.

Our project operates from St Andrews Methodist And United Reformed Church a welcoming space where individuals and families can access support with dignity. We identify service users through referrals from local agencies, walk-ins, word-of-mouth, and direct outreach. We listen carefully to understand each person’s circumstances, ensuring our support is tailored to their needs. We offer a weekly hot food kitchen for those experiencing homelessness, financial hardship, or isolation. We also provide free food parcels, clothing, and household essentials such as bedding, kitchenware, and toiletries. Seasonal support is available too, including warm coats in winter and school supplies in autumn. All services are completely free of charge, because we believe that access to food, warmth, and dignity should never come with a price tag. Surplus food donations are distributed through our hot meals and parcel service. We prioritise those most in need, including individuals without housing, families facing financial strain, and elderly residents at risk of isolation. Food is shared both on-site and through flexible responses to urgent needs, such as doorstep deliveries. The impact of these donations is profound: they reduce hunger and food waste, restore dignity and choice, foster connection and wellbeing, ease financial pressure, and support sustainability by redirecting edible surplus away from landfill. Every service we offer is rooted in compassion, community, and the belief that everyone deserves care, connection, and hope. All surplus food donations are distributed completely free of charge to those in need. Our aim is to ensure that no one in our community goes hungry, and that dignity is never compromised by cost. Each week, we receive surplus food from local suppliers, supermarkets, and community partners. Our team carefully inspects and sorts the donations, then assembles food bags tailored to different needs. Family parcels include fresh produce, pantry staples, and child-friendly items. Smaller bags are prepared for single parents and individuals. For those without access to cooking facilities, we create ready-to-eat packs with nourishing, easy-to-carry items. These food bags are given out in several ways. Families and individuals can collect them directly from our premises. For those unable to travel—such as elderly residents or single parents—we offer doorstep delivery when possible. Our outreach teams also carry food bags during their rounds, offering immediate support to people sleeping rough or living in temporary accommodation.