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Regional daily meal appeal raises £35,000 in one week

Share Your LunchA regional daily’s appeal to end child hunger on its patch has raised £35,000 in its first week.

As previously reported on HTFP, the Liverpool Echo has launched its ‘Share Your Lunch’ campaign to help feed the poor of Liverpool, urging readers to donate £2 to help provide healthy meals for those in poverty.

The amount raised in the campaign’s first seven days now means almost 18,000 freshly prepared, nutritious hot meals can be sent out via social enterprise Can Cook, which campaigns against food poverty.

Echo editor Alastair Machray described the response from Echo readers as “typical – but utterly overwhelming”.

In a message to readers, he added: “It’s a breathtaking response from the people of Merseyside and our readers.

“While Liverpool is renowned for its generosity – and in that sense this is typical – it is utterly overwhelming too.

“The Echo is fully committed to this important campaign long term – and what a start we have just made thanks to the wonderful people of this city and this region. I can’t thank every one of you enough.”

The campaign was launched after an Echo investigation earlier this month revealed that many families were at crisis point over the summer due to the loss of free school meals they rely on during school term time.

Echo managing director Carl Wood added: “To raise £35,000 in a week is an extraordinary achievement – even for the Echo’s extraordinary readers. I knew this was the right cause for the Echo to throw its weight behind and I’m thrilled our readers feel the same.

“£35,000 equates to 17,500 meals going to hungry people across Mers​eyside. That is heartwarming for us and everyone involved should feel enormously proud.”