Red Funnel and its Charity of the Year, the Isle of Wight Foodbank, have announced a can drive challenge to collect 1,000 cans of food by the end of Cowes Week, on 2nd August. Cans can be dropped off at any Isle of Wight Foodbank collection bin located inside all of Red Funnel’s 4 terminals. The Foodbank is most urgently in need of canned fruits and vegetables, though all in-date canned foods are welcome. Red Funnel has also provided a mid-year fundraising update to affirm that thanks to the generosity of its customers and colleagues, the company has collected over £14,000 in cash donations since the start of the year. To help grow the number, the ferry firm has also pledged a donation of 50p from the sale of each of their Captain Ted Funnel and Captain Ruby Funnel teddy bear toys. 
Speaking on the mid-year milestone, Fran Collins, CEO of Red Funnel, says:
“We are proud to do our part to support the amazing work the Isle of Wight Foodbank is doing all over Island, and we’re incredibly thankful to our customers and colleagues for their tremendous generosity. With another five months ahead of us, there’s a lot more we can achieve together, and I’m particularly excited to see where we land with the can drive by the 2nd of August.”
Kay Lewis, Manager of the Isle of Wight Foodbank, adds:
“We are so grateful to have been selected as Red Funnel’s Charity of the Year and it’s been a delight to work with them. We would like pass on a big thank you to Red Funnel’s staff and customers for all their support, as it goes such a long way in enabling us to keep helping Islanders facing food crisis.” “At this time, our shelves are in desperate need of a restock of canned fruits and vegetables, so we’re appealing to everyone, both Island residents and visitors who have the capacity to help us out to please pitch in. It may not feel like much, but picking up just that one extra can on your next shop will add up and make a difference. If we band together as a community, there’s no limit to what we can achieve, though for starters we’ll be absolutely thrilled if we can get to 1,000 cans by 2nd Aug!”
To help increase vital cash donations to help them grow their food stock reserves, the foodbank has also been hosting a series of popular clothing sales on the first Saturday of most months. The next event, located at the charity’s headquarters in Cowes will take place on Saturday 3rd August from 10:00-12:00. 
Red funnel donates 50p for each teddy sold? I bet they still make a tidy profit of each bear, classic guilt tripping people into making purchases, whilst also “donating” £14,000 (tax deductible) of what their customers and workers have donated. Free PR for these scumbags.
Far better to give a thousand condoms instead of food, to limit those selfish who are ‘alleged’ to be ‘in’ poverty to stop inflicting their ‘hard’ life of free rent, free council tax, NO or little work whilst we have to get up early in cold dark mornings to fund the next and generation of spongers.
Get a job and fund yourself, and DON’T give anything to these leeches as they get enough from us now and even more soon from the Labour Gov who are to increase taxes to fund them and dingy contents for the rest of time.
Vote reform next time around
People didn’t want Deform as they thought their policies probably weren’t very good. That’s why they didn’t vote for them. No reason to see things any differently as it stands. Best get used to it Engineer.
Fran Collins ought to put more effort into getting the company running effectively than she does with her virtue signalling.
I agree totally, this is exactly why nothing runs properly when they are not concentrating on the day job!
According to Company House she is a director of seven other companies. It makes interesting reading. Red Funnel requires a CEO who is focussed on sorting out Red Funnels disastrous service levels.
So just like Tesco’s, they fail to actually put their hand in their own pocket, preferring to just facilitate the generosity of others. Shame on them.
CEO should sort the overpriced and unreliable ferries and Red Jets not play silly PR gimmicks .. useless!
‘Can drive for Cowes week’ …… surely it should be ‘Can’t drive to Cowes week’ …… because my sailing’s been cancelled….again!