Haulage firm raises £4,830 to help food bank fight cost of living crisis

A cross-county coast-to-coast charity cycle ride has raised £4,830 for a food bank that is facing huge demand due to the cost of living crisis.
By Dominic Brown
Published 5th Jul 2022, 06:00 BST
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Staff at Crossroads Truck and Bus in Birstall raised the cash as part of the company’s "Hauliers Against Hunger" campaign.

The ten cyclists from the Crossroads depot on Pheasant Drive completed the tough 160-mile cycle ride from Morecambe to Scarborough in just three days.

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The funds will be donated to the Leeds South and East Foodbank, where staff say they are facing multiple new requests for help from members of the public every day.

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Staff from Crossroad Truck and Bus in Birstall before the coast-to-coast rideStaff from Crossroad Truck and Bus in Birstall before the coast-to-coast ride
Staff from Crossroad Truck and Bus in Birstall before the coast-to-coast ride

The food bank has provided support for nearly 7,000 people over the last six months, including nearly 3,000 children.

Nathanya Laurent, development manager at the food bank, said: "We’re so pleased to have the support of Crossroads Truck and Bus. It's partnerships like this that help us to continue our service during these challenging times.

"The cost of living crisis is really being felt by many people, and this is just the beginning.

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"We’ve seen an increase in demand for our service and a dip in donations, as everyone is feeling the pinch.

Staff from Crossroad Truck and Bus in Birstall during the coast-to-coast rideStaff from Crossroad Truck and Bus in Birstall during the coast-to-coast ride
Staff from Crossroad Truck and Bus in Birstall during the coast-to-coast ride

"The Crossroads partnership has never been so critical to help us support local people in need right now.”

The food bank is affiliated to The Trussell Trust, a nationwide charity that fights hunger across the UK.

Crossroads Truck and Bus, which supplies and services Volvo commercial vehicles, says all of its nine depots in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire are twinned with food banks in the trust's network.

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Paul Rayner, workshop supervisor at Crossroads in Birstall, said: "Our team did a fantastic job to complete the ride in just 72 hours. I'd also like to thank all of our customers who supported us.

"The haulage industry played a key role in maintaining supplies during the pandemic and together we can now help to keep the food banks stocked."

The donation consisted of £2,415 in sponsorship that was raised by staff, which the company itself then doubled.

Latest statistics show that between January 22 and June 22, Leeds South and East Foodbank provided 6,928 people, including 2,813 children, with emergency food parcels.

The service says it is seeing more and more working families and individuals requiring support.