Man Utd Great Evra Makes NHS Pledge

Former Manchester United player Patrice Evra has pledged to support NHS staff in Manchester in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Evra has partnered with Lineage Logistics to kick start the Share a Meal campaign and have committed to raising £500,000 to be split equally between Manchester Foundation Trust Charity and The Hillingdon Hospitals Charity.

Evra and Lineage, a provider of temperature-controlled food logistics, have committed to a £250,000 matching donation - meaning they will match every pound donated up to £250,000.

The money will be used to provide meals and support frontline workers, including cleaners, porters and security staff. Lineage's Share A Meal campaign also has a goal of donating 100 million meals worldwide to people in need.

Patrice Evra said: "It was when I spoke to staff at Hillingdon Hospital in London and Manchester Royal Infirmary that I realised we should do more to support the unsung heroes - the cleaners, porters and security staff, without whom the hospitals wouldn't function.

"The work they are doing is vital, incredibly tough and often heartbreaking.

"They are working on the frontline while the rest of the country stays at home and we've got to give our support however we can. I am proud to partner with a company like Lineage Logistics that is stepping up to help launch this important project."

Patrice has set up a JustGiving Page to raise the funds. Money raised on the page and the match funding will be divided equally between Manchester Foundation Trust Charity, which supports ten hospitals and community services of the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust and The Hillingdon Hospital Charity in London.

Mike McClendon, Lineage's President of International Operations and EVP of Network Optimisation, said: "The Covid-19 pandemic present extraordinary challenges for moving, storing and distributing food on a large scale.

"At Lineage we've built a business dedicated to shepherding food all over the world and that experience puts us in a unique position to help overcome these challenges. We want to do our part by sharing what we have to offer - including temperature-controlled warehouse space, supply chain logistics expertise and financial resources.

"We are thrilled to partner with Patrice Evra to bring our Share a Meal campaign to life by supporting frontline NHS workers."

Support this campaign here: https://justgiving.com/fundraising/patrice-evra