Marcus Rashford has received the full backing of Burberry in joining forces with charities supporting young people across the world.
Championing Rashford’s ongoing efforts to end child food poverty, Burberry is endeavouring to support UK youth organisations in Manchester, London and charities with a global reach.
The British heritage brand will provide donations to FareShare, which will fund over 200,000 meals distributed across 11,000 charities and community groups across the UK.
Full backing: Marcus Rashford has partnered with Burberry in joining forces with charities supporting young people across the world
Programmes targeted by Burberry vary from educational to supporting young creatives and artists, and helping entrepreneurs to tackle some of the world’s significant challenges.
In the English capital Burberry is working with London Youth, which supports a network of more than 600 community youth organisations and creates thousands of opportunities for young people each year.
Fifteen youth centres jointly selected by Burberry and London Youth will receive grants to ensure their programmes can continue to make a positive impact in some of the city’s most deprived communities.
Getting involved: In support of Rashford’s ongoing efforts to end child food poverty, Burberry is endeavouring to support UK youth organisations in Manchester, London and charities with a global reach
In Manchester, the brand pays tribute to Rashford by supporting Norbrook Youth Club and Woodhouse Park Lifestyle Centre, which are both youth centres that played a pivotal role in the footballer’s childhood.
Youth volunteers from the two clubs will be coming together as part of the partnership to help charities in the Wythenshawe area of south Manchester, where the clubs are based and Rashford grew up.
Alongside these youth centres, Burberry is contributing to Wide Rainbow, a non-profit based organisation in New York City providing access to the arts and arts education in neighbourhoods across the United States with limited resources.
A good cause: Rashford has worked tirelessly to extend his free school meals campaign into half term and summer holidays
The donation will provide art supplies, food deliveries and music education to young people in these communities as well as fund the creation of art murals to invigorate schools and shelters on America’s east and west coast, in New York and Los Angeles.
To further the international reach of this work, Burberry is also partnering with the International Youth Foundation to contribute to the Global Youth Resiliency Fund.
This will enable young entrepreneurs and community leaders, specifically in Asia, to develop solutions to challenges including closing nutrition gaps and unlocking access to livelihoods.
Taking a stand: The Government’s decision to vote against extending free school meals recently was met by staunch defiance from Manchester United star Rashford, who vowed to continue to advocate for change
The move comes after Rashford was praised for his efforts to provide free school meals to vulnerable children throughout the pandemic during Sunday evening’s Pride Of Britain Awards.
The Government’s recent decision to vote against extending free school meals during the school holidays was met by staunch defiance from Rashford, who vowed to continue pushing for change.
The footballer was surprising fellow award winner Emmie Narayan-Nicholas in Manchester, who battled leukaemia and started providing food for parents living at their sick children’s bedsides – when he was given a Special Recognition Award by Ashley and Jordan Banjo.
Well done: The footballer was praised for his efforts to provide free school meals to vulnerable children throughout the pandemic during Sunday evening’s Pride Of Britain Awards
Accepting the award, he said: ‘Ultimately no kids should miss meals. For me that should be just standard no matter where you come from. If we get that as the new normal then we have made a lot of strides forward.’
‘I attended Pride of Britain last year so I was able to see firsthand just how deserving the recipients of the awards are.
‘I am extremely humbled but I’d like to think that I am receiving this award on behalf of all of the incredible people who have selflessly stepped up to support their communities during this pandemic.
Special appearance: Rashford recently visited Fairshare Greater Manchester at New Smithfield Market with his mother (pictured)
‘I have met many of them and I am no more deserving than them.
‘Parents who have sacrificed everything to feed their children during this challenging time, people who are volunteering at the FareShare food banks day in and day out, people who are fighting to protect our most vulnerable children every minute of the day.
‘It is those people who really make me proud to be British and really define us as a United Kingdom.
‘So today, I accept this award on behalf of all of those who step up without the need for thanks and accolades. I appreciate every single one of you.’