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Boxer aims to raise £15,000 for hometown foodbank

Chloe Aslett
BBC News, Yorkshire
Boxxer Four people stand in front of a large grey warehouse. They wear green branded t-shirts with "Barnsley Foodbank" written on them in black font. Callum Simpson, whose has short black, stands between a woman and two men who are all holding up a fist, imitating his boxer pose.Boxxer
Callum Simpson says he is getting involved "as much as possible" as the foodbank's latest ambassador

Boxer Callum Simpson is hoping to help raise £15,000 in three months to support a foodbank.

The British and Commonwealth super-middleweight champion launched the "Fight Against Hunger" campaign during a visit to Barnsley Foodbank

He said he wanted to get involved "as much as possible" in order to understand issues of food poverty in his hometown.

"Barnsley has backed me since day one," he said. "I am in the position I am because of my town, my community, so it's only right I give something back."

The foodbank, which is part of The Trussell Trust network, supplied food to about 6,800 people in the year to August 2024, more than a third of whom were children.

Simpson added: "If you were to ask me a few months ago who uses a food bank I would've said people on lowest income, maybe single parent with kids, but it's not [just] them.

"It's families with two parents, working good jobs, some with kids some without [because] the cost of everything has gone up.

"People need a little help, people are going through a hard time."

Boxxer Callum Simpson in the boxing ring. He is holding four belts across his front and shouting in celebration. He is muscular and wears long white boxing shorts.Boxxer
Simpson holds the British and Commonwealth super-middleweight titles

Next month Simpson will fight Ivan Zucco for the European super-middleweight title at Barnsley FC's Oakwell Stadium and the foodbank said his support was already providing a boost.

"We have had a real upswing in monetary donations because of his profile on this already," said Andy Gaskell, fundraising officer at the foodbank

"Because he is a professional athlete he was really interested in the nutritional value of the parcels, and he said he could see they were healthy.

"That was affirming for us - to have an athlete say, 'I can see the thinking here'."

He said the hub spent about £5,000 on food per month, so, if successful, the campaign would fund three months worth of meals for service users.

Mr Simpson said he was also looking for "long term" ways to support the cause.

"It would be great if I could finish my career and there be no one in Barnsley going hungry," he said.

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