THE man behind a remarkable shed in York has organised a bumper Christmas raffle for those in need.
John McGall runs the I am Reusable food bank in the Leeman Road area of the city.
Recommended reading:
- 'A reminder of the city’s remarkable history' - finds at major York development
- Former head teacher dies after going into the river in York
- 'It’s something that will stand for generations' - thousands put name to gin path
"This is not just a normal raffle – all funds raised will go towards helping families in need during this Christmas season by providing food and gift hampers," he said.
"The more we raise the more families we can help. There are more than 70 fabulous prizes and raffle tickets are just £1 each.
"Buy a ticket or 2 or 10 to support I am Reusable Christmas fundraising, either send a message me or speak to your local volunteer.
"Raffle ticket numbers will be allocated randomly. The draw will take place live on Facebook at 5pm on Friday, December 19, or when the tickets sell out - a maximum of 2,000 tickets will be sold.
"Please make payments by bank transfer or cash to your contact to guarantee your entry.
"Bank details by private message to Marian Hodgson – once paid, please send a screenshot or confirmation of payment."
I am Reusable was initially set up to help those in need through the pandemic, including NHS staff. It has been inundated to the point that they have run out of food on several occasions.
As The Press reported in July last year John had to put in an application for retrospective planning permission despite spending the past 16 years dedicating his time voluntarily to helping improve the lives of the homeless, disabled and less fortunate people in York.
Crowd funding raised money to pay for the application which was granted a year ago by City of York Council.
At the time John said: “We can continue operating in our current residential location for up to two more years.
“We then have to look for an alternative location. We have to have weekly commercial waste bin collections and waste licences.
“The JustGiving money that was kindly donated has been spent on the planning application fee, and on getting the shed in a good condition to continue operating.
“We propose to also spend this money on the new costs which will occur as a condition of us staying open. These are weekly commercial waste pick ups and the relevant paperwork and licences required."
John has worked over the years to change the city’s attitudes on those who are homeless. He has been known to hand out hot drinks, snacks and warm clothes seven days a week to support those in need.
He won a Community Pride Award from The Press in 2020 when he was named Person of the Year.
Even during the Covid-19 pandemic, John continued to ask for support with food donations online while he was shielding from the virus due to past heart surgery.
Contact John on Facebook.
Share