Help Manchester’s homeless enjoy a hot meal this Christmas

Online marketing company itison has launched a major fundraising campaign with The Booth Centre today, inviting people to donate £5 to buy a Christmas dinner for a homeless person in Manchester. 

The annual Christmas fundraiser is a phenomenon in Scotland where itison is based. They have been partnering with social enterprise Social Bite since 2014 to tackle homelessness and have raised over £3 million and donated over 600,000 meals to those who need it most. 

For the fourth year in a row in Manchester, they’re asking big hearted members to donate £5 to buy Christmas dinner for a homeless person or a Christmas gift for families and individuals hard-hit by the COVID-19 crisis.  

The global pandemic means thousands of families and homeless people continue to fall through the gaps of support and are struggling.

itison’s £5 fundraiser in partnership with The Booth Centre will ensure that homeless people, individuals and families in Manchester can enjoy a hot meal and a gift this Christmas. 

“In Scotland we’ve come together and are genuinely on a path to eradicate homelessness – all stemming from one small idea that took off and captured people’s imaginations, we’re delighted to be bringing that to Manchester,” said Oli Norman, CEO at itison. 

“We’re asking you to do something amazing this Christmas and help those who need it the most.

“No one has been harder hit by the global pandemic than the most vulnerable in our society.

“By donating £5, you’ll be making sure vulnerable families and homeless people have somewhere to go and a present to open this Christmas after what’s been another incredibly hard year.”

Social Bite have revolutionised the fight against homelessness with an aim to end homelessness for good in Scotland within five years.

Rather than a ‘sticky plaster’ fix they provide a structured, holistic approach to the issue, providing employment, support and now innovative housing – through the new Social Bite village – to help people transition from homelessness back in to society.  

By partnering with The Booth Centre, Social Bite will be sharing their expertise, networks and insights to help tackle the nationwide issue of homelessness together. 

One hundred percent of donations made in the Manchester area will go via Social Bite to The Booth Centre who will be providing hot meals across the city this Christmas. 

Any surplus funds raised in Manchester will go towards providing hot meals throughout 2022.  

“Back in 2014 we started working with itison on our annual fundraiser, with a target of 800 Christmas dinners,” said Josh Littlejohn, co-founder of Social Bite.

“We ended up receiving over 32,000 donations meaning we could feed homeless people for the whole year. 

“Our annual itison fundraiser continues to exceed our expectations every year and has dramatically shaped the work we can do at Social Bite. 

“We couldn’t do it without you and would love you to join us in sharing kindness this Christmas, please share it with all your friends and help the people who need it the very most this year.”

To donate £5 to buy a Christmas dinner for a homeless person or give a Christmas gift for children, families and vulnerable individuals, visit www.itison.com/donate.