Aim

Providing food, expert advice and advocacy to help local people through crisis and tackle the root causes of poverty.

Who are we, and what is our project about?

Atherton & Leigh Foodbank is rooted in our local community, supporting people and families who find themselves without enough money for food and other essentials. Our team of staff and dedicated volunteers provides compassionate, practical support at the point when people need it most.

Last year, January to December 2025, Atherton & Leigh Foodbank generated 3,622 emergency food parcels – the equivalent of 32,598 meals – supporting 2,263 adults and 1,359 children. Behind every one of those figures is a person, a family and a story.

This Christmas, our Unwrap the Magic of Christmas campaign has a bigger ambition than simply filling food parcels.

Our vision is to help people move from crisis towards greater financial stability.

When someone comes to us because they cannot afford food, there is often a deeper problem behind their crisis – debt, benefit difficulties, housing problems, rising household costs, loss of income or difficulty accessing the financial support they are entitled to.

Emergency food provides vital breathing space. But we don't want our support to end there.

That's why the money we raise will help us combine food for today, advice for tomorrow and action for lasting change.

We aim to invest £10,000  towards providing dedicated Citizens Advice advocacy provision linked to our collection depots, helping people access expert, independent advice where they already come for support. This could help someone maximise their income, address debt, resolve benefit or housing problems, access grants and other support, understand their rights or have somebody advocate on their behalf.

We will also invest £10,000 towards our Strategic Support Officer, who takes what we learn from people experiencing crisis and works proactively with Wigan Council, Citizens Advice, referral agencies, community partners, MPs and other organisations.

By identifying recurring problems and bringing the right people together, we want to address not only individual crises but some of the wider barriers that repeatedly push local people into hardship.

This is why our project strongly supports Financial Wellbeing.

Our aim isn't simply to give out more food parcels. Success means helping people address the underlying causes of financial crisis, increase their financial resilience and, wherever possible, reduce their need for emergency food in the future.

Through Unwrap the Magic of Christmas, we're inviting our whole community to be part of that journey.

Unwrapping Hope. Unwrapping Joy. Unwrapping Comfort. Unwrapping Peace.

Because sometimes the greatest gift we can give someone at Christmas is not something wrapped under a tree. It's a way forward.

Working together for our community. Atherton & Leigh Foodbank brings together staff, volunteers, trustees and partners committed to helping local people move beyond crisis.

Why are we crowdfunding?

We are crowdfunding because no one in Atherton and Leigh should have to face the impossible choice between putting food on the table and paying another essential bill.

Last year, Atherton & Leigh Foodbank generated 3622 emergency food parcels – the equivalent of 32,598 meals. These figures demonstrate the scale of local need, but we know that providing food alone cannot solve the problems bringing people to our doors.

Behind an empty cupboard there is often a deeper financial crisis: debt, benefit problems, housing difficulties, loss of income, rising household costs or barriers to accessing support.

We want to help change what happens next.

The money raised through Unwrap the Magic of Christmas will help us provide a joined-up response: emergency food when it is needed most, dedicated Citizens Advice advocacy to help people address the financial problems behind their crisis, and strategic support to tackle recurring issues affecting people across our community.

We aim to invest £10,000  towards Citizens Advice advocacy provision linked to our collection depots, bringing expert, independent advice closer to the people who need it. This can help people maximise their income, address debt, resolve benefit and housing problems, access grants and financial support, and build greater financial stability.

A further £10,000 will support our Strategic Support Officer, who works proactively with Wigan Council, local agencies, referral partners, MPs and community organisations. By using evidence from our frontline work, we can identify recurring barriers, improve pathways into support and work together on solutions that can prevent people reaching crisis.

This means your donation can have an impact far beyond a food parcel.

It can provide food for today, help someone access advice and advocacy for tomorrow, and support lasting change so fewer people need emergency food in the future.

With Aviva match funding helping donations go further, together we can Unwrap Hope, Joy, Comfort and Peace for people across Atherton and Leigh – and help more local people move from crisis towards stability.

Taking local experience to decision-makers. Atherton & Leigh Foodbank works beyond emergency food, advocating for change and ensuring the experiences of people facing financial hardship are heard.

How we’ll spend the money raised

Every donation to Unwrap the Magic of Christmas appeal will help us provide more than emergency food. The funds raised will strengthen the advice, advocacy and strategic support that can help local people address the underlying causes of financial crisis and move towards greater stability.

Our key costs are:

£10,000 – Dedicated Citizens Advice advocacy provision
Funding specialist Citizens Advice support linked to our foodbank collection depots, helping people address issues including debt, benefits, housing, household income and access to financial support.

£10,000 – Strategic Support Officer
Funding dedicated strategic support to identify recurring causes of crisis and work with Wigan Council, agencies, referral partners, MPs and community organisations to improve pathways, coordinate solutions and help prevent people falling into repeated crisis.

Total project cost: £20,000

Together, this investment will connect the emergency support we provide with expert advice and longer-term action.

£20,000 invested in helping local people move from crisis towards financial stability.

Through Aviva match funding, every eligible donation can go further – help us Unwrap Hope, Joy, Comfort and Peace for people across Atherton and Leigh this Christmas.

How you can help

There are three simple ways you can help us Unwrap the Magic of Christmas for people across Atherton and Leigh.

1. Make a donation

Every donation, large or small, can help someone in our community move from crisis towards stability.

Your support will help us provide access to expert advice and advocacy, tackle the underlying causes of financial hardship and work towards a future where fewer people need emergency food.

And with Aviva match funding, eligible donations can go even further.

Together, we can Unwrap Hope, Joy, Comfort and Peace for local people who need it most.

2. Spread the word

You can make a difference without spending a penny.

Share our Unwrap the Magic of Christmas campaign with your friends, family, colleagues, community groups and wider networks.

Tell people why you're supporting Atherton & Leigh Foodbank and encourage them to join you.

Every share helps us reach someone new – and every new supporter brings us closer to our goal.

3. Volunteer with us

Our foodbank is powered by people who care about their community.

Whether you can offer your time, skills or expertise, we'd love to hear from you.

Please get in touch through the Contact section of our project page using the subject “I want to volunteer my time or expertise.”

This Christmas, you can be part of something special.

Donate. Share. Volunteer.

Together, we can provide food for today, advice for tomorrow and action for lasting change – helping people across Atherton and Leigh find a way forward.

Unwrap the Magic of Christmas with Atherton & Leigh Foodbank.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 14th December 2026 at 11:51am