Community Engagement
One of MCU’s objectives as a business is to try and help as many people in the local community as we can, encouraging our members to save money and to provide affordable loans when they are in need of credit. A further way to enhance the support we can offer the local community is to partner with charities in the area who have similar ethics, values and beliefs as MCU does.
For the next 12 months MCU will be supporting 3 local charities by trying to raise funds for them, providing donations and volunteering at their premises.
Feed My City
Feed my City are an offshoot project of Manchester Sikh Foundation (charity registration 1191992) and has 80 volunteers to help deliver their services.
They provide hot meals at their base and have a mobile van that delivers food around Manchester. Hot meals are provided 11am to 5pm, 5 days a week.
They also provide emergency dry food parcels from 10am to 7pm,7 days a week. They operate every day including bank holidays and Christmas.
Anyone can use the service – it is free of charge to anyone in need. They also take referrals from agencies.
Barnabus Manchester
Barnabus are a Christian homeless charity (charity registration 1174410) set up in 1991 with the sole aim of getting people off the streets and into their own home. They work with landlords, employers and health practitioners to provide many types of support.
Their support centre provides food, showers for rough sleepers, clothing, toiletries and emergency accommodation. The charity’s partners include dentists, opticians, mental health nurses, physio’s and hairdressers who all provide their services to those in need. They run workshops and activities to help the homeless learn a trade and support them in finding a job. They also help with benefits advice and drug and alcohol rehabilitation.
Mustard Tree
Mustard Tree (charity registration 1135192) provides a variety of support services to the Manchester community to prevent poverty and homelessness. They provide hot meals on site along with a food club and furniture shop. The food club works by allowing anyone who is struggling financially, on benefits or homeless to take 10 items of their choice for £2.50 and they can do this twice a week. The furniture shop is open to the general public and is where anyone can buy household items including clothes at a very low price. They have a van that can deliver items purchased and collect any donated furniture.
They provide a number of different classes to help people build new skills, including English speaking lessons, technology, arts and crafts and cookery. They also provide help with benefits, housing and debt advice.
