Highways community lends a hand to struggling families this Christmas

Following a successful joint effort in 2022, the National Highways Operation and Maintenance Community came together across Yorkshire, the Northeast, the Northwest, and the Southeast to host food bank and gift drop off points across offices and depots. The community, which includes representation from construction, design, and maintenance contractors along with National Highways, joined forces this season once again to help support families in need. The donations were headed for The Trussell Trust, Building Futures East and The Salvation Army.

The Trussell Trust have said they are bracing themselves for their busiest winter ever, with an estimate of 600,000 people being supported by its foodbanks between December 2023 and February 2024.  This equates to one food parcel every 8 seconds.  The cost-of-living crisis has not gone away and unfortunately there seems to be a greater need to support those living in food poverty.

Barnados are reporting, that currently there are 4.2 million children in the UK living in poverty.  With the high cost of living continuing, parents struggling to pay their bills and put food on the table, and families finding it difficult to afford essential items like beds and bedding. This Christmas, they are going to face even more hardship.   For some children, Christmas can mean going hungry, living without warmth, having no suitable winter clothing, and receiving no presents.

Andrew Jennings, National Highways Supplier Relationship Manager for Yorkshire Northeast said “We are delighted with the response from staff across National Highways and our supply chain who have come together to help so many families in the area, especially with the cost-of-living crisis impacting on so many. The results show the power of us all working together, and we are grateful to everyone involved for donating and organising the collection.”

A small selection of the items collected, now in the hands of families across the country. 

Hundreds of food parcels, boxes, and gift bags stuffed with donations collected across 30 companies, were delivered to charity depots across the country from Barnsley and Middlesbrough to Preston to Basingstoke. In total, the collection was able to support twelve locations across three charitable organisations.

Yorkshire Northeast

• The Salvation Army Darlington
• The Salvation Army Middlesbrough
• The Salvation Army Leeds
• Building Futures East
• Trussell Trust Middlesbrough
• Trussell Trust Barnsley
• Trussell Trust Doncaster

Northwest

• The Salvation Army Warrington
• Trussell Trust Warrington
• Trussell Trust Flyde

Southeast

• Trussell Trust Basingstoke
• Trussell Trust Medway

A representative from Trussell Trust Basingstoke said “Thank you and your colleagues so much for your wonderful donation of 690.96kg. That's equivalent to an amazing 1,645 meals. What a difference that will make to families struggling particularly at this time of year.

With demand on our food parcels continuing to increase and donations falling, as some many people struggle with the cost of living, this is a real boost to our stock.

So far this year we have fed well over 7,300 adults and children (with children making up 65% of that total). It must be so hard for parents and carers who struggle to feed their children. Thank you so much.”

Thank you to the following organisations and their staff, for the donations: -

• A E Yates
• Amey
• Associated Asphalt Contracting Ltd
• Balvac
• Beaumonts
• Carnell
• CRL (Concrete Repairs Ltd)
• Data Consulting
• Evolve Selection
• Ground Control
• GVA
• Harrison Engineering
• Heidelberg materials UK
• HW Martin
• Jacobs
• Kier Group
• McCanns
• Metrail Construction Ltd
• MSF
• Mway Comms
• National Highways
• NGC
• Octavius
• Premier TM
• Roadways
• Roocroft
• Sir Robert McAlpine
• Tarmac
• Tilbury Douglas
• Winvic Construction

More information on the charities work can be found on the links below 

https://www.trusselltrust.org/ 

https://www.salvationarmy.org.uk/christmas-present-appeal 

https://buildingfutureseast.org/