Cookie Privacy Preferences
We utilize essential cookies to ensure our website operates effectively and remains secure. Additionally, we'd like to request your permission to use optional cookies. These are intended to enhance your browsing experience by offering personalized content, displaying advertisements that are relevant to you, and helping us to further refine our website.
Choose "Accept all cookies" to agree to the use of both essential and optional cookies. Alternatively, select "Let me see" to customize your preferences.
Privacy Preference Centre
Our website utilizes cookies to enhance your browsing experience and to present you with content tailored to your preferences on this device and browser. Below, you will find detailed information about the function of cookies, enabling you to make informed choices about which cookies you wish to accept. Please note that disabling certain cookies might impact your user experience on our site. It's important to remember that cookie preferences need to be set individually for each device and browser you use. Clearing your browser's cache may also remove your cookie settings. You have the freedom to modify your cookie preferences at any point in the future.
For a comprehensive understanding of our use of cookies, please refer to our complete cookies policy.
These cookies are needed for the website to work and for us to fulfil our contractual obligations. This means they can't be switched off. They enable essential functionality such as security, accessibility and live chat support. They also help us to detect and prevent fraud. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but it means some parts of the site won't work.
These cookies allow us to measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know how popular pages are, and to see how visitors move around the site. If you don't allow these cookies, we won't know when you've visited our site, and we won't be able to monitor its performance.
These cookies enable us to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we've added to our pages. If you don't allow these cookies, some or all of these services may not work properly.
These cookies collect information about your browsing habits to show you personalised adverts. They may be used to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They don't store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you don't allow these cookies, the adverts you see will be less relevant.
RECREATION GROUND | BROOKBURN ROAD | CHORLTON | M21 8FE
by Matthew Durrant · 15/01/2018
Shortly before this weekend's set of fixtures, the club was contacted by West fan and volunteer Jim - known mainly by his online alias Barca Jim - with regards to accepting donations to Barakah Food Aid at both the men's and women's games. Barakah is a local charitable organisation that we have held collections before and we were very happy to be involved once again: thankfully, those in attendance at Brookburn Road on both Saturday and Sunday were also keen to help out too.
Despite the relatively small time to prepare, we were able to accept somewhere in the region of 40 bags of shopping, which will now be distributed to some of the most vulnerable members of our local community. Items included food (coffee, tinned vegetables, and rice were requested - and delivered by those able to offer a donation), along with toiletries and other essentials which will help tide over many families for the time being. While we understand that one off donation drives like this are short term fixes, they are sadly necessary. The Trussell Trust - a nationwide Food Bank organisation that the club has worked with in the past - released statistics last year that showed how demand for their services has grown over the past decade. Shown below, they illustrate how Food Banks have become a necessity for many: a sad state in a country that boasts the world's 5th largest economy.
Our usual major drive for donations comes on the day of our annual Christmas Miracle game: this was sadly rained off at the end of last year. However, plans for an equivalent day (where a donation to a local organisation earns you a free drink at a game) are being put in place. In addition, we'll hopefully being doing lots more one-off donations drives like the one that happened over the past weekend - if you have any suggestions, please contact us here: Contact Us.
Once again, we'd like to thank Jim for his suggestion, hard work in making it happen, and for taking the time to drive donations from the club to Barakah Food Aid once they had been collected. We'd also like to thank all those who brought down donations - however big or small - to contribute to those who need assistance at this difficult time of the year. That fans, volunteers and members of the teams donated items was especially heartening. Most importantly, we'd also like to thank Barakah Food Aid themselves for all the excellent work they do in our local community - you can find out more about them here: https://www.facebook.com/pg/BarakahFoodAid/about/?ref=page_internal
If you or someone you know is struggling to afford to eat, please get in touch with Barakah through the link above, or speak to another organisation that may be able to help: Reach Out to the Community, Chorlton & Didsbury Food Bank (Trussell Trust), and Citizens Advice Manchester are all vital resources that should be able to offer some guidance on the situation.
Thanks again to all got involved - and we hope to see you down at Brookburn Road again soon.
-Matthew Britton, West Didsbury & Chorlton committee member