Tom Hingley is this week hosting a special concert with the aim of helping raise awareness food poverty, on Sunday 13th October at 1pm, featuring acts such as The Lottery Winners, Louis Barabbas, Snow Apple and, of course, the organiser and former Inspiral Carpets lead singer himself.
The concert is being held in the style of a harvest festival with people being asked to bring along food to donate to the Salford foodbank at Broughton's Church of the Ascension. This is run by Trussell Trust which, this year has helped to feed over a quarter of a million UK residents living in food poverty (see previous Salford Star article – click here).
Tom Hingley explained how he felt it was a "terrible social injustice" that 36% of children are in need of food charity assistance. He added how baffling it is that, in the 21st Century, the UK, one of the top ten richest countries in the world, couldn't prioritize such a key issue.
He believes that the Government "isn't doing anything" to combat the issue and feels that it's important the people who find themselves in food poverty "shouldn't feel bad" as assistance is here. The hope is to raise awareness that people can get help from Trussell Trust.
"It's a disgrace that the country has money to fund the Royal Family and £130 billion to spend on a buying scheme for new homes when there's people in the country starving they cant find money for that" said Tom.
Trussell Trust has seen the biggest rise in numbers of requests for emergency food since the charity began in 2000. Nearly 350,000 people have received three days worth of emergency food in the past year.
The Trust has met the PM at Downing Street this week so there is hope that the need for funding to stop food poverty will be recognized.
The concert is ideal for all ages as it will be an acoustics show. It will hopefully make people aware that help can be found for those struggling to afford food on benefits. The work the Trust does is amazing and stories can be found on its website, including how, before receiving help from Trussells Trust, a family of three were struggling to feed their 18 month old baby and were forced to borrow soup from neighbours to feed their child.
Another young child skipped primary school out of embarrassment of not having any dinner money. In the 21st Century UK poverty is present. What this concert is doing is urging those who are lucky enough to be able to feed themselves to help their community.
Snowapple, an up and coming girl bind from Amsterdam, were keen to be involved in the concert… "As a band, we hope to inspire people, and help creating a more beautiful world. We like to participate in projects that share the same goals as we do."
The concert is only £3 a ticket and the project urges you to bring one of the following items to help with the foodbank.
Milk (UHT or powdered); sugar (500g); fruit juice (carton); soup/pasta sauces; sponge pudding (tinned); tomatoes (tinned); cereals; rice pudding; tea bags/ instant coffee; instant mashed potato; rice/pasta; tinned meat/fish; tinned vegetables; tinned fruit; jam, biscuits or snack bars.
These simple items we take for granted could be a massive help to people struggling for food due to financial constraints such as redundancy or delay of benefit payment.
It's a key issue in the UK, as the executive chairman of the Trussell Trust stated "The sheer volume of people turning to food banks because they can't afford food is a wake up call to the nation. We can't ignore the hunger on our doorsteps."
The concert is ideal for young children and families and is a great opportunity to give something back. This concert is sure to bring a community bond at a time when the council is little by little cutting its necessities.
Foodbank Concert
Sunday 13 October 1pm
Ruby Lounge, 28-34 High Street, Manchester M4 1QB
Tel: 834 1392 www.therubylounge.org
To attend the event log onto the Ruby lounge website were you can purchase tickets.
http://www.therubylounge.com/index.php/shows/tom-hingley-friends-a-concert-in-aid-of-food-banks
For a full list of food items donations and further info on Foodbanks: http://www.trusselltrust.org/foodbank-projects
Words by Cat Heuston
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