Community members gathered at Shree Bhartiya Mandal in Ashton-under-Lyne to mark the initiative’s seventh year
Yesterday (Sunday 27 October), over 130 volunteers from communities across Greater Manchester and Cheshire gathered at Shree Bhartiya Mandal on Union Road in Ashton-under-Lyne to build, pack and deliver a thousand hand-made food parcels across Manchester as part of the initiative’s wider drive to deliver 5,000 hampers to families in need, regardless of faith or background.
Now in its seventh year, the Diwali Basket Brigade was created by The Diwali Foundation as a way of bringing light and hope to families that need it most ahead of Diwali - the Hindu festival that celebrates giving, unity and togetherness.
Deepa Parekh, Entrepreneur, Podcast Host and Public Speaker, created the Greater Manchester arm of the initiative four years ago coming out of Covid, following her brother-in-law Deepak Parekh’s launch of the campaign in Birmingham three years prior.
Amongst those who attended yesterday’s drive in Manchester were Civic Mayor of Tameside Councillor Betty Affleck, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, and members of the local media who came to show their support.
Held across four cities (London, Birmingham, Leicester and Manchester), donations and voluntary contributions from this weekend’s efforts created a whopping 5,000 hampers ready to go to families that require them the most. The hampers created in Manchester will be distributed to Charity partners FareShare GM, CAFT, Coffee4Craig, and Salford Foodbank.
Deepa said “With the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, the support we offer is more essential than ever.
“Together, we are committed to making a tangible difference in the lives of vulnerable families.”
If you’d like to find out more about, or show your support to, this charity visit www.diwalibasketbrigade.org.
