Festive foodbank delivery by National Highways and Balfour Beatty’s A57 Link Roads team

National Highways and its partners have delivered more than 100 kilograms of food supplies to a Greater Manchester foodbank in time for Christmas - the equivalent in weight to a baby elephant.

The essential items were presented to Tameside South and Longdendale Foodbank in Hyde, providing vital support at one of the foodbank’s busiest times.

The initiative is just part of the wide-ranging social value work undertaken throughout 2025 by National Highways and Balfour Beatty, who are delivering the A57 Link Roads scheme.

A57 Link Roads Senior Project Manager Tom Peckitt said:

“Our team is proud to play an active and supportive role in the community, lending a hand and making a difference. We have engaged with local schools and colleges and volunteered to help groups, organisations and charities throughout 2025. It’s not just about building roads; it’s about being a good neighbour and supporting the community.”

The foodbank is part of the Trussell Trust network and operates as an independent charity, relying entirely on public donations. While most donations include tinned and packet items, the foodbank also distributes fresh produce and prepares special Christmas parcels featuring chocolate biscuits, tins of ham and salmon, and festive selection boxes.

Balfour Beatty Project Director Eileen Longworth added:

“The huge volume of food collected for the foodbank was a magnificent achievement by the A57 team. Thanks to everyone’s generosity we were able to donate 109 kilos of food items in total. We take great pride in building relationships with the local community and look forward to continuing to do more in the new year.”

To maximise contributions for the foodbank, the A57 Link Roads team organised a workplace tombola, with colleagues donating food items in exchange for tickets. Additional cash raised was used to purchase further supplies.

Moira Wallis, for Tameside South and Longdendale Foodbank said:

“We are incredibly grateful for the generous donation from the A57 Link Roads team. It really helps us at this time of year when we need to keep our warehouse fully stocked so that we can distribute emergency parcels over the Christmas period for those families that need them most. Without donations like this we simply can’t provide the service.”

A Year of Social Value Activity

The donation is just one element of the team’s extensive programme of community support over the past 12 months, which has included:

• Partnering with The Bread and Butter Thing charity to pack and distribute food parcels for families in need.

• Helping with the creation of a woodland walk in the gardens of Willow Wood Hospice.

• Building a willow tree walk and quiet space at Hollingworth’s Etherow Park.

• Donating thousands of daffodil bulbs to local community groups and supporting local litter-picks, including a major clean-up with the RSPCA in Tintwistle.

• Working with local schools to deliver careers guidance in engineering, attending fairs and giving talks at Tameside College, Ashton Sixth Form, Godley Community Primary and others.

• Supporting the Hattersley Christmas Lights switch on event.

National Highways and Balfour Beatty are committed to building on their community partnerships in 2026 as the A57 Link Roads scheme progresses.

The A57 Link Roads project includes the creation of two new link roads:

• Mottram Moor Link Road – a new dual carriageway from the M67 junction 4 roundabout to a new junction on the A57 at Mottram Moor.

• A57 Link Road – a new single carriageway link from the A57 at Mottram Moor to a new junction on the A57 in Woolley Bridge.

The scheme will transform travel in the North by reducing congestion, improving journeys between Manchester and Sheffield, boosting travel connections and supporting economic growth. It will also reduce noise and pollution levels for the communities of Mottram-in-Longdendale.