Feed a Family: Decency and kindness the key for ex-Goodyear workers
A sense of community and a wish to help vulnerable people has been part of the work of former workers at Goodyear.
The workers, who are all members of the 5/344 Branch of the Transport and General Workers Union Benevolent Fund, have dedicated their time to helping good causes across Wolverhampton and the Black Country through charitable donations.
Their tireless work has seen them donate money for a recumbent cross trainer, costing £6,200, for Walsall-based Heart Care (Walsall Rehabilitation and Healthy Living Trust) and £20,000 for the Haven to purchase a safe house, among other charities helped across the region
As the cost of living crisis has hit families across the city, the workers have looked to help food banks and charities working to help vulnerable people, with chairman of trustees Cyril Barrett saying the Express and Star Feed a Family campaign had been an inspiration for them.
He said the group decided to help the campaign by using £3,000 from its funds to purchase food from Booker Wholesalers in Boundary Industrial Estate in Wolverhampton and make 1,044 meals.
He said: "We've supported the campaign for a number of years and I think it is a wonderful project, so we wanted to do something to support it this year and help families.
"We have a contact at the Good Shepherd, who we have supported for a number of years, called Helen Holloway, who has a contact with Bookers Cash and Carry, so we used that contact to buy the food and make the meals, which will be donated equally between the Good Shepherd and the Well Food Bank."
The funding for the food comes from a trust fund set up back in the 1980s, initially as a union Sick Pay fund, but which became a charitable fund after the closure of the Goodyear plant in 2016.
Mr Barrett said the group of workers had wanted to support the Feed a Family campaign and help the two charities as they were disappointed and angry at people being left desperate for food and their own beliefs of caring and decency.
He said: "The campaign appeals to us because we are disappointed and angry that people are being left struggling at this time of year.
"We also wanted to support this as the ex-Goodyear workers are kind, caring, decent, family-minded people who believe and support their own community, so this is a fitting way of honouring the legacy of the ex-Goodyear workers.
"We've done a lot of projects support the most vulnerable people in the community and if it's going to help the families and put a smile of relief on the faces of the parents and children, then that's nice."
Mr Barrett said the work to support charities across the region would continue for as long as there was money in the fund and said he hoped the legacy of the ex-Goodyear workers would be one of kindness and decency.
He said: "I hope and pray that the community of Wolverhampton will never forget the decency, kindness and the care of the ex-Goodyear workers.
"I genuinely believe that this food and this project will bring some relief to many families across Wolverhampton and that is a fitting tribute to all of those who worked at Goodyear."
