A charity dedicated to providing social and employment support to communities in High Peak and Buxton has received a vital funding boost, thanks to the generosity of Manchester Credit Union members.
Zink, headquartered in Buxton, is the latest recipient of funding from Manchester Credit Union’s Busy Bee Lottery.
The lottery is exclusive to Manchester Credit Union members and combines the opportunity to support local good causes with a chance of winning a monthly cash prize.
Last year, more than £16,000 was donated to charities and community groups via the lottery. The initiative has raised more than £27,000 of charitable funds since its inception in January 2023.
Zink, which has been awarded over £1600 by the Busy Bee Lottery, has been running High Peak Foodbank for over ten years. During this time, it has developed a range of additional community services, including employment support, advice and advocacy, and help for Ukranian refugees.
Zink HQ incorporates a community eco café that is open to all and uses food surplus in the supply chain to provide nourishing meals and reduce waste. The charity also operates NeuroHub, a drop-in support centre for neurodivergent children, young people, and their parents and carers.
High Peak Foodbank continues to provide emergency food to families across High Peak, Buxton, Chapel en le Frith, Hope Valley, the Derbyshire Dales and as far as Hartington and Bakewell.
The Manchester Credit Union donation will specifically support Zink’s community café. It will directly fund free meals for homeless people and families in crisis and subsidise meals for low-income families.
Commenting on the donation, Paul Bohan from Zink said: “This donation couldn’t have come at a better time for us. It will make a very real difference to our work supporting the local community and we’re hugely grateful to the credit union and their members for their help.”
Mandy Wilcock, chief executive of Manchester Credit Union added: “Once again, the generosity of our members has helped us to support a charity that’s making a meaningful impact on local communities. We always seek to assist organisations that share our values and are keen to bolster them as much as possible, as we continue to pursue our mission of helping people to improve their financial futures.”
As a member-owned, not-for-profit financial co-operative, Manchester Credit Union offers a range of services - from savings accounts, including one dedicated to Christmas, to fair and affordable personal loans with no application fees and no early repayment fees. The credit union is dedicated to helping people in Greater Manchester free themselves from a cycle of costly and stress-inducing debt.
Operating from three physical branches, Manchester Credit Union serves members in the City of Manchester, Bury, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, and the High Peak.
Manchester Credit Union is authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the PRA.