VOLUNTEERS IN Tameside who provide food for those in need have celebrated a charity’s 10th anniversary.
The Bread and Butter Thing has established centres in Hattersley, Haughton Green, Hyde, Ridge Hill, St Martin’s in Droylsden and Ashton’s West End.
And as they help local families access nutritious, affordable food every week, they marked the charity’s 10th birthday with local celebrations.
Members across The Bread and Butter Thing’s hubs came together for a birthday cake, a brew and good company, sharing memories, stories and friendships in a festive atmosphere created by dedicated volunteers and local communities.
The celebration was one of more than 160 taking place across England and it was also an opportunity to celebrate the role each hub plays in the community.
The Bread and Butter Thing began 10 years ago with one hired van delivering surplus food to a community centre in Manchester’s Moss Side.
Today, it has grown into the UK’s largest member-based food redistribution charity, supporting more than 100,000 households through weekly hubs in more than 160 communities across England.
The Tameside food clubs give local families and individuals access to fresh, nutritious food at low cost, offering three bags of food packed with fresh fruit and vegetables, chilled items and cupboard staples from just £8.50.
But for many members, it offers much more than affordable food. It is somewhere to catch up with neighbours over a brew, swap recipes, volunteer and find support.
A Member from the local community said: “TBABT is vital for this community during this economic climate.
“It is great to see food being affordable for working class people and easily accessible.
“I always look forward to what I will get and it massively helps me with the growing cost of living”
Vic Harper, chief executive of The Bread and Butter Thing, said: “Every hub has its own story, but together they’ve created something extraordinary.
“Over the past 10 years, we’ve unlocked the equivalent of 70 million meals, we’ve never moved out of a community and we’ve never missed a delivery.
“Those milestones matter because they represent something bigger – people knowing they can rely on us, week after week.
“That’s only possible because of the incredible members, volunteers and partners who make the Tameside hubs such an important part of their community.”
Mark Game, founder of The Bread and Butter Thing, added: “It started with just me, a hire van and one community, testing and refining the idea week by week.
“But it only worked because of the huge support of brilliant people who understood communities far better than I did and who helped shape the model into something practical, trusted and useful.
“To now see The Bread and Butter Thing turning 10, supporting more than 100,000 members and becoming part of people’s everyday lives, their bread and butter, is something I am incredibly proud of.
“The heart of the idea has never changed – create a model that works in the real world, for real people, week after week.”