Manchester restaurants, including , Hawksmoor, Menagerie, Bundobust and Don Giovanni, have helped Action Against Hunger to raise an astonishing £1.1 million in the international non-governmental organization’s biggest nationwide campaign to date.
Action Against Hunger joined forces with top restaurants in Manchester and other UK cities, in October last year, calling on diners to raise funds to help children to survive life-threatening malnutrition.
Hundreds of restaurants across the nation supported the charity by giving customers the opportunity to add a small donation to their bill or by offering certain dishes where a percentage of the cost went to Action Against Hunger’s Love Food Give Food campaign which, this year, was part of their Healthy Mums Healthy Kids appeal.
Matthew White, Director of Fundraising and Communications at Action Against Hunger, said: “This is an incredible achievement. I’d like to thank everyone who has been involved in our Healthy Mums Healthy Kids Appeal. Malnutrition rates amongst children are far above emergency thresholds in Matam. We hope the project targeting young mothers can help to eradicate life-threatening malnutrition from the area.”
Every penny raised by the British public in the appeal, which included funds from community fundraising events will be matched by UK aid, from the Department for International Development.
Adam Jones, managing director of Tattu Restaurants, said: “We are very proud of the part that Tattu has played in the Love Food Give Food fundraiser to help Action Against Hunger. We have supported the initiative for three years but knowing the UK Government were doubling the donations we worked even harder to raise as much money as we could.
He continued, “We would like to say thank you to our diners who got behind the cause and were so generous. To be able to contribute to improving the lives of malnourished children is truly wonderful.”
The UK aid-matched funding will fund a project in Matam, a province in north-eastern Senegal, where the charity supports young mothers to get vital support and nourishment they need through pregnancy and beyond.
Secretary of State for International Development, Penny Mordaunt said: “I would like to thank the generous people of Manchester for supporting Action Against Hunger’s appeal to support young mothers in Matam, Senegal.”
