Manchester charity faces annual shortfall of £15k-plus on every council-funded resident

The belief of Mark Cunningham, CEO of Manchester welfare charity The Fed, is that “a community is defined by how it cares for its most vulnerable, the oldest and the youngest”.

To keep essential services running, The Fed needs to meet a £1.2 million annual fundraising target and its biennial dinner at Lancashire County Cricket Club was a key contributor.

The 400 guests were told that for council-funded residents at the charity’s Heathlands Village, there was an average yearly shortfall of more than £15,000.

It was also reported that some 460 referrals were made annually to the charity’s community advice and support team and that 70 people were currently using The Fed’s drop-in mental health service.