A BURY foodbank has benefitted from a special gig by former Beautiful South and The Housemartins frontman Paul Heaton and vocalist Jacqui Abbott.

The chart-topping duo performed at Manchester Academy 2 on January 19 for their rescheduled intimate Christmas benefit gig.

As part of the event attendees were encouraged to bring donations including tins, staple foods, pet food and sanitary products.

The items were then distributed to foodbanks across Greater Manchester, including the Bury drop-in foodbank service at Freedom Church, in Walmersley Road.

Mr Heaton said: “There are people in this country, be they on benefits or be they on low incomes, who simply cannot meet the rising cost of living.

“It falls to us to put our community values into practice — to stand up for those people and in solidarity with those who everyday go out of their way to make a difference.

"I believe in the concept of solidarity, not charity.

"Last year people turned up clutching bags full of both everyday necessities and those luxuries that helped make Christmas what it is. It was brilliant.”

Organised by trade union GMB and Hope Not Hate, an anti-racism and community politics advocacy group, Christmas 3: A Night Of Solidarity was originally scheduled to be held in December, but had to be postponed due to Jacqui Abbott's illness.

More than 9,500 food items and toiletries were donated by generous fans at the gig, almost doubling the amount they took to the event last year.

The goods were then divided up, with each food bank receiving 16 boxes of mixed foods, four boxes of mixed toiletries, a box of cereal, a box of pet food, a large bag of mixed pasta products, a large bag of sanitary products, and other items.

Mick Rix, GMB National Officer, said: “Many people using foodbanks are in work, but don’t earn enough to feed themselves.

"This is not about charity, this is about solidarity with those in our communities."