Manchester restaurants help raise more than £1m to combat child hunger

17 Manchester restaurants including Don Giovanni, King Street Tavern and Pho have helped a charity raise an astonishing £1.1 million in its biggest nationwide campaign to date.

Action Against Hunger joined forces with restaurants across the country in October last year to ask 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 price went to Action Against Hunger’s Love Food Give Food campaign.

Every penny raised in the appeal will be matched by the government and will fund a project in north-eastern Senegal where the charity supports young mothers to get vital support and nourishment they need through pregnancy and beyond.

“I would like to thank the generous people of Manchester for supporting Action Against Hunger’s appeal to support young mothers in Matam, Senegal,” said Secretary of State for International Development, Penny Mordaunt.

“The UK government will match every penny you helped raise, doubling the sum the new mothers will receive. This means we can ensure they are healthy and nourished during pregnancy and their children have the best start in life.”

Gill Maitland, Eclectic Hotel Collection group sales manager, said: “We hosted the drinks reception in The Cellars at King Street Townhouse, our brand new private dining and cinema area. This appeal presented an excellent opportunity for us to shed light on the international hunger crisis to the general public and raise funds for such an urgent and prevalent cause.”

“We are extremely proud to have taken part in Action Against Hunger’s Love Food Give Food campaign this year,” said Don Giovanni spokesperson, Georgina Pellant.

“We have been overwhelmed by the generosity that has come from all of our customers throughout the initiative, whose contributions will will make such a difference to the lives of young mothers and their babies in Senegal. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who came through our doors and got behind the cause. We look forward to working with Action Against Hunger again this year.”

Manchester restaurants which supported the scheme are Don Giovanni, King Street Tavern,  Pho, Cafe Football (National Football Museum), Cafe Football (Old Trafford), Shoryu, Lunya, Fazenda, Neighbourhood, Menagerie Restaurant & Bar, Tattu, Bundobust, Beastro, Hawksmoor, Mylahore, Sakana and Grafene.