Image courtesy of Shakur Hussain
Image caption: Rainbow Surprise Food Bank helps around 500 people every week. Article information Author: Angela Ferguson & Naji Modak Role: BBC News, Manchester
14 minutes ago
The food bank has announced it will have to close for a few days after a break-in by thieves caused an estimated £5,000 worth of damage.
Rainbow Surprise Foodbank in Crumpsall was targeted on Saturday night, with windows smashed and valuables believed to have been stolen.
The charity, based at Crumpsall Community Hall, helps around 500 people every week.
Shakar Hussain, chairman of the charity, told BBC Radio Manchester that some foodbank users had already been turned away, leaving some volunteers in tears.
Image courtesy of Shakur Hussain
Image caption: Food bank president Shakur Hussain says they will have to close for at least two days
Hussain said he was shocked and stunned when he discovered the break-in on Sunday morning.
He said staff at the food bank, which has been operating for seven years, have already had to turn people away.
“There will be a lot of people left behind,” Hussain said.
He added that food banks in north Manchester are “very few and far between”, and that some people are relying on this particular site because they are able to seek help themselves.
The charity usually runs a community fridge on Mondays, where people can access free sandwiches, pasties and soups collected from local sandwich shops.
“Just today, we might have 80 to 100 people coming for various reasons,” Hussain said.
The break-in saw cash stolen, windows smashed and computers damaged, with damage estimated at around £5,000.
Food bank merchandise was also stolen, including deodorant gift sets.
Image courtesy of Shakur Hussain
Image caption: Bricks found in food bank office after break-in
Hussain said the food bank likely won't reopen until Wednesday at the earliest.
Volunteers are being asked to help with the cleanup effort.
Hussain said he and his fellow volunteers at the charity were grateful for the messages of support and offers of help from local residents.
The charity has launched a fundraising campaign to raise £10,000 to boost security measures at the building, including CCTV equipment.
Greater Manchester Police confirmed that investigations are ongoing and no arrests have been made at this time.
Police are asking anyone with information to contact police on 101 or online quoting incident number 2197 of 16 June 2024, or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
