Glasgow Times launches Bank on Us 2023 to help struggling families

For the fifth consecutive year of running the festive campaign, we are encouraging our readers to get involved in a food drive. 

We have partnered with dozens of food banks across the city and beyond to ensure no one goes hungry this Christmas. 

Paper bags will be inserted into every copy of the Glasgow Times on Wednesday, November 15. 

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Readers who are able to donate are being asked to fill the bags with food items and hand them into one of our partner food banks.

This year, our Christmas campaign is more important than ever due to the cost-of-living crisis with thousands of families struggling to heat their homes and put food on the table. 

As well as the food drive, the Glasgow Times will be raising money for our Bank of Us toy drive via GoFundMe. 

Last year, the campaign brought in around £15,000 and delivered around 100,000 gifts to our most vulnerable children. 

This year we are back to support families at Christmas by aiming for every child in Glasgow to open a present on December 25. 

We are hoping for our readers, nurseries, schools, and businesses to get behind the campaign by donating.

All proceeds will be used to purchase toys which will be distributed to charities around the city to be handed out to parents and put under the tree. 

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Stacey Mullen, editor of the Glasgow Times, said: "It is a huge milestone for us that we have been doing this campaign for five years and everyone who works for the Glasgow Times is incredibly proud of it.

"Times are tough, families are facing so much hardship amid the cost of living crisis, and if we can all take a moment to spare a thought for them and give something back, no matter how small, it will make a huge difference.

"I want to thank all the readers who are incredibly generous and help every year with this campaign.

"The greatest thing about editing this newspaper is knowing that us Glaswegians all look out for each other, and doing this campaign really proves that every single year.

"So thank you for the bottom of our hearts for helping us with Bank on Us."

The Bank on Us 2023 campaign is proudly sponsored by Arnold Clark, Stagecoach, Allied Vehicles, Spar Scotland, Storage Vault and StepChange. 

We will be speaking with our sponsors over the coming weeks, as well as those in charge of running the foodbanks. 

You can donate towards our toy bank on GoFundMe HERE.

Our food bank partners are listed below*: 

• Destiny Church Food Bank, 1120 Pollokshaws Road, Glasgow G41 3QP - opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9am-4pm
• Kilsyth Community Food Bank, 19 Main Street, Kilsyth, G65 0AW - opening hours: Monday and Wednesday, 12-2pm
• Everlasting Food Bank, 12 Whitehill Street, Dennistoun, G31 2LJ - opening hours: Saturday, 1-3pm
• Bridging the Gap, Greyfriars Centre, 270 Ballater Street, Glasgow, G5 0YT - opening hours: Monday to Thursday, 9am-5pm and Friday, 9am-4pm
• Drumchapel Food Bank, 9 Lady Loan Place, Glasgow, G15 8LB
• St Augustine Food Bank, Saint Augustine RC Church, 393 Ashgill Road, Glasgow, G22 7HN - opening hours: Tuesday, 10.30am-12pm
• Crookston Community Group, 56 Beltrees Road, Glasgow, G53 5TF - opening hours: Monday to Thursday, 10am-3pm
• West Dunbartonshire Food Bank, Unit 21, Leven Valley Enterprise Centre, Castlehill Road, Dumbarton, G82 5BN - opening hours: Monday to Friday, 10am-4pm
• Garnethill Multicultural Food Hub, Garnethill Multicultural Centre, 21 Rose Street, Glasgow, G3 6RE - opening hours: Thursday and Friday, from 1.30pm
• Glasgow City Mission, 20 Crimea Street, Glasgow, G2 8PW - opening hours: Monday, 10am-2pm
• Queen's Park Govanhill Food Bank, Queen's Park Govanhill Parish Church, 170 Queen's Drive, Glasgow, G42 8QZ - opening hours: Thursday, 10am-12pm

Glasgow NW Food Bank

• Blawarthill Church, 30 Millbrix Avenue, Scotstoun, Glasgow, G41 0EP - opening hours: Tuesday and Friday, 12-2pm
• Victory Family Centre, 404 Hawthorn Street, Possilpark, Glasgow, G22 6RU - opening hours: Wednesday and Thursday, 12-2pm

Glasgow NE Food Bank

• Calton Parkhead Parish, 142 Helevale Street, Parkhead, G31 4NA - opening hours: Monday, 1-3pm, Wednesday, 10.30am-12.30pm, Friday, 1-3pm
• Queen Mary Street, Bridgeton, Glasgow, G40 3BB - opening hours: Thursday, 10.45am-12.45pm
• 20 South Vesalius Street, Shettleston, Glasgow, G32 7XP - opening hours: Thursday, 1.30-3.30pm
• St Enoch's Hoggan field Parish Church, Cumbernauld Road, Glasgow, G33 2QW - opening hours: Wednesday, 1.30-3.30pm
• Blairtummock Community Hall, 45 Boyndie Street, Easterhouse, G34 9JL - opening hours: Thursday, 2-4pm

Glasgow SE Food Bank

• Distribution Centre, Glasgow Elim Church, 42 Inglefield Street, Glasgow, G42 7AT - opening hours: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 10am-12pm

Glasgow SW Food Bank

• Elderpark Workspace, Unit 65, 100 Elderpark Street, Glasgow, G51 3TR
• Our Lady & St George Church, 50 Sandwood Road, Penilee, G52 2QE - opening hours: Tuesday, 10.30am-12.30pm
• Hillington Park Church, 24 Berryknowes Road, Cardonald, G52 2UD - opening hours: Friday, 10am-12.45pm
• Linthouse Housing Association, 1 Cressy Street, Glasgow, G51 4RB - opening hours: Tuesday, 2-4pm
• Priesthill Community Centre, 100 Priesthill Road, Glasgow, G53 6QL -opening hours: Thursday, 10am-12pm

Rutherglen & Cambuslang Food Bank

• Unit 37, Rutherglen Exchange, Main Street, Rutherglen, G73 2LS
• Romanian Pentecostal Church Halls, 2 Cadzow Drive, Cambuslang, G72 8ND - opening hours: Monday, 11am-12pm
• Rutherglen Community Baptist Church, Reuther Avenue, corner of Stonelaw Road and Greenhill Road, G73 2SL - opening hours: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 11am-2pm
• Whitlawburn Community Resource Centre, 57 Belmost Road, Cambuslang, G72 8PG - opening hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 11am-2pm

Hamilton District Food Bank

• 13-15 Cadzow Street, Hamilton, ML3 6EE - opening hours: Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, 11am-2pm
• The Salvation Army, Burnblea Street, Hamilton, ML3 6RB - opening hours: Monday, 11am-2pm
• The Nazarene Hall, St Andrew's Church, Elm Street, Blantyre, G72 0NZ - opening hours: Tuesday and Thursday, 11am-2pm

Renfrewshire Food Bank

• Westway, Porterfield Road, PA4 8DJ - opening hours: Monday to Friday, 9.30am-12pm

East Renfrewshire Food Bank

• 14 Lowndes Street, Barrhead, East Renfrewshire, G78 2QX
• Corner of Bank Street & Lowndes Street, Barrhead - opening hours: Tuesday, 12-2pm, Thursday, 2-4pm
• Robslee Drive, Giffnock, G46 7BA - opening hours: Thursday, 12.30-2.30pm

East Dunbartonshire Food Bank

• Kirkintilloch Baptist Church, 52 Townhead, Kirkintilloch, Glasgow, G66 1NL -opening hours: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 2-4pm
• St Joseph's Church, Buchanan Street, Milngavie, G62 8DZ - opening hours: Friday, 2-3.30pm, Sunday, 12.45-1.30pm
• Colston Wellpark Church, 1378 Springburn Road, Glasgow, G21 1UX - opening hours: Monday, 10am-12pm, Friday, 2-4pm
• Lennoxtown Free Church, Main Street, Lennoxtown, G66 7DD - opening hours: Friday, 11am-1pm

*opening times are correct at the time of writing but may be subject to change