A HOLMES Chapel volunteer is showing his heart for the homeless by taking on the fight against food poverty on the streets of Manchester.

Alan Rickards has formed a partnership between Barnabus, the homeless charity he volunteers for, and bake & TAKE, a new deli-style bakery in Manchester.

The partnership, which was launched to coincide with Poverty and Homelessness Action Week, will see bake & TAKE pledge to make daily donations of fresh food.

From sandwiches and soup to pizza and pastries, the bakery will give boxes of produce to Barnabus indefinitely, providing much needed food for its Drop in Centre, which is open five days a week, Monday to Friday, with morning and evening sessions, at which Alan is a regular volunteer.

“With hundreds of homeless and vulnerable people visiting our Drop In centre each week, this partnership will ensure that we can always provide food for those who need it most,” Alan said.

“It is wonderful to see a new business give something back to the community and what better time to launch the partnership. We are thrilled to be working with such a proactive company.”

Each week, Barnabus serves 500-600 homeless or vulnerable people at the Drop-In Centre, offering a lifeline to those that need it most. Relying entirely on donations, Barnabus provides food for the homeless, as well as hot showers and toiletries, clean clothes and blankets, and so donations such as this are a necessity.

Robin Page, UK Master Franchise Owner at bake & TAKE, said: “Committed to fighting food poverty, an issue that affects individuals and families who regularly struggle to afford food, we are determined to help those in need and hope that our daily donation will play a small yet significant part towards this most worthwhile cause.”