Big Bolton Lunch raises over £3000 to help bridge food gap this summer

Bolton-based law firm, Keoghs, joined forces with a number of high profile businesses last week to raise money in aid of Urban Outreach’s Bolton Lunches project.

With one in five 4-15 year olds in the Bolton area eligible for free school meals, Urban Outreach aims to provide over 40,000 packed lunches during the summer school holidays, helping families who face a six week struggle to afford meals.

The inaugural Big Bolton Lunch was organised by the Bolton Family Group, a collective of like-minded local businesses who work together, to help the charity meet its target. Staff across a range of high profile companies in Bolton staged fundraising food events throughout the week, raising money by cooking and selling their favourite dishes to colleagues.

Keoghs staged a world food day, attended by the hungry DJ’s at Bolton FM who broadcast from the event and left happily holding several bags of sweets.

Other food-based events were held around the borough by a wide variety of companies from Seddon, Bolton at Home, Barclays, OneE Group, Bolton CCG, Arena Creative, Bolton Council and Bolton CVS, through to Bolton Whites and Heathcote & Co, who held a ‘Picnic on the Pitch’ charity lunch at the Macron Stadium.

At the end of the week, proud staff across the town had raised a grand total of over £3000, providing more than 3000 packed lunches for children over the school holidays.

Keoghs Responsible Business Partner, Rachel Mitchell-Denson, was delighted with the amount raised and also the local buzz surrounding the initiative, saying:

“Everybody involved in the Big Bolton Lunch has done an amazing job to support Urban Outreach with the important work they do each summer. I’ve also been absolutely delighted at the number of local businesses who have thrown their weight behind the initiative. It demonstrates the power of partnership and what can be achieved when we work together for a good cause.”

Urban Outreach founder, Dave Bagley, added:

“We have been overwhelmed by the support offered to the Bolton Lunch project this year, the partnerships with the firms listed has been nothing short of inspirational and humbling. Yes the funding is essential but knowing you have influential companies such as these supporting and encouraging you is immense. We anticipate producing in the region of 40’000 lunches this year which will go directly to young people giving them a much need lunch but also hopefully making the summer holidays even more fun. On their behalf I thank these business and especially Keoghs for being the encouragement for the Big Lunch initiative which has been great fun. This is what makes Bolton still the best and friendliest Town in the country, we are at our best when we stand together.”