A HYDE food bank has received the present that was at the top of its festive list after more than 100 kilograms of products was delivered by road project bosses.
People behind the A57 Link Roads scheme, which will see Mottram finally bypassed with a new trunk road, have showed some Christmas spirit.
For National Highways and its partners have handed the equivalent in weight to a baby elephant to Tameside South and Longdendale Foodbank.
The initiative is just part of social value work undertaken throughout 2025 by National Highways and Balfour Beatty, who are delivering the project.
The food bank is part of the Trussell Trust network and operates as an independent charity, relying entirely on public donations.
While most include tinned and packet items, it also distributes fresh produce and prepares special Christmas parcels featuring chocolate biscuits, tins of ham and salmon and festive selection boxes.
And A57 Link Roads’ senior project manager, Tom Peckitt, said: “Our team is proud to play an active and supportive role in the community, lending a hand and making a difference.
“We have engaged with local schools and colleges and volunteered to help groups, organisations and charities throughout 2025.
“It’s not just about building roads; it’s about being a good neighbour and supporting the community.”
To maximise contributions for the food bank, the A57 Link Roads team organised a workplace tombola, with colleagues donating food items in exchange for tickets. Additional cash raised was used to purchase further supplies.
Eileen Longworth, project manager for Balfour Beatty, added: “The huge volume of food collected for the foodbank was a magnificent achievement by the A57 team.
“Thanks to everyone’s generosity we were able to donate 109 kilos of food items in total.
“We take great pride in building relationships with the local community and look forward to continuing to do more in the new year.”
The donation has been hugely welcomed by Tameside South and Longdendale Foodbank.
Member Moira Wallis said: “We are incredibly grateful for the generous donation from the A57 Link Roads team.
“It really helps us at this time of year when we need to keep our warehouse fully stocked so that we can distribute emergency parcels over the Christmas period for those families that need them most.
“Without donations like this we simply can’t provide the service.”
This donation is just one element of the team’s extensive programme of community support over the past 12 months, which has included:
Partnering with The Bread and Butter Thing charity to pack and distribute food parcels for families in need.
Helping with the creation of a woodland walk in the gardens of Willow Wood Hospice.
Building a willow tree walk and quiet space at Hollingworth’s Etherow Park.
Donating thousands of daffodil bulbs to local community groups and supporting local litter-picks, including a major clean-up with the RSPCA in Tintwistle.
Working with local schools to deliver careers guidance in engineering, attending fairs and giving talks at Tameside College, Ashton Sixth Form, Godley Community Primary and others.
Supporting the Hattersley Christmas Lights switch on event.
And National Highways and Balfour Beatty say they are committed to building on their community partnerships in 2026 as the A57 Link Roads scheme progresses.