Same-day distribution specialist, CitySprint, has partnered with anti-poverty charity, the Trussell Trust, to support them in its mission for a future without the need for food banks in the UK.
The Trussell Trust supports a nationwide network of more than 1,300 food bank centres and provides emergency food and help to people locked in poverty, as well as campaigning for change to end the need for food banks in the UK. Last year, food banks in the Trussell Trust network distributed more than 2.5 million emergency food parcels to people in crisis across the UK and nearly a million of these were for children.
In addition to this, 2021 also marks CitySprint’s 11th year of partnership with Crisis, the national charity for homeless people. Each year, CitySprint provides three vehicles for the Crisis team year-round to collect and distribute donations, with extra vans supplied at Christmas.
In support of its CSR strategy and as part of its ‘Colleague Volunteer Programme’, CitySprint employees that donate a day of their time to volunteering with – or fundraising for – the Trussell Trust, Crisis or another local charity will also receive an extra day of holiday.
“This has been a difficult year for many of us, and we want to do what we can to make a difference,” commented Sarah Gibbs, People Director at CitySprint. “All of us at CitySprint are looking forward to getting involved with the Trussell Trust and raising as much money as we can to provide assistance to people that are facing hardship.”
CitySprint will be donating £20,000 per year to the Trussell Trust and has set an overall fundraising target of £150,000 for the business and its employees for 2022 to be spread across various charities and good causes.
“As we enter the winter period, more people are likely to need a food bank’s help and food banks across our network face providing over 7,000 food parcels to people in crisis every day throughout December,” added Sophie Carre, Head of Corporate Partnerships at the Trussell Trust. “But, ultimately, no one in the UK should need a food bank – all of us should have enough money for the essentials like food, clothing and heating. The support of CitySprint will help food banks within our network continue to provide the lifeline of emergency support for local people in crisis, while we work in the long term to end the need for food banks, for good.”
