Whitworth families supported with new holiday initiatives

The Whitworth Lighthouse has been supporting local families over the summer holidays with two family meal initiatives.

The local community foodshare has been providing families of children who usually receive free school meals with lunchtime sandwich packs, as well as running a “Feed Up Friday” in collaboration with local businesses.

Around 340 packed lunches have been provided over five weeks of the summer holidays, with a further 100 families fed on a Friday so far through the scheme.

The Feed Up Friday scheme has given out a free evening meal bag from the Whitworth Co-op, with the last one being given out on Friday 1 September.

The final Feed Up Friday meal by Whitworth Lighthouse is 'pizza night', given out to Whitworth families from 4.30pm to 6pm, or until supplies are gone. Each bag will contain a margarita and pepperoni pizza, popcorn and garlic bread, plus a bottle of fizzy drink.

Previous family night meals have included burger night in collaboration with Joshua Law butchers, which donated all the burgers and most of the buns, and a hotdog night with popcorn.

Volunteer Marilyn Jones said the initiatives have only been made possible thanks to generous donations from local businesses, organisations and residents, including Finlay Jude, VintageWorx (which donated a number of hotdog and burger buns), Whitworth Co-op (which has donated storage space and allowed the Lighthouse to give away food on its doorstep) and Joshua Law. 

"All have been well received," she said. "It's good to be able to make a difference and give back to the community, and ease one burden on a Friday night.

"These initiatives couldn't have happened if it wasn’t for the help from our dedicated band of volunteers."

Marilyn hopes to be able to continue the lunch packs in other school holidays, as well as the Feed Up Friday scheme. 

Based at 551-552 Market Street, The Whitworth Lighthouse Community Foodshare is a partnership between the long-running Rochdale Soup Kitchen, founded in 2013 by Marilyn Jones and Vida Slater, and Thrum Hall Methodist Church.

With the help of local supermarkets and donations from the public, the Whitworth Lighthouse Community Foodshare is open every Tuesday and Thursday from 10am to 4pm, and every Saturday between 10am and 3pm for residents to collect food packages.

Donations currently needed are longlife milk, tinned goods, cleaning products, toiletries including shampoo, plus tea, coffee, sugar and biscuits.

If you think you would benefit from the Whitworth Lighthouse Community Foodshare, or if you want to get involved as a volunteer, you can refer yourself by calling 07922 951 096 or email lighthousefoodshare@gmail.com

You can also be referred through your local doctors’ surgery, school, social services, dentists, council offices and councillors.