THE RACE IS ON TO FEED FOOD BANKS AND SUPPORT THOSE EXPERIENCING ‘FOOD INSECURITY’ THIS CHRISTMAS

                            **Photo Credit: Stefan Ruiz**   

(London 27th November 2024) Multiple BRIT and Ivor Novello-winning songwriting giants Travis join forces with food bank donation platform Bankuet to raise vital funds to help feed the increasing number of people forced to turn to food banks this Christmas.

Travis will kick off their Raze The Bar Tour at Leeds O2 Academy on 5th December, with further performances in Manchester, Liverpool, Wolverhampton, Nottingham, Margate, London, Bristol, Eastbourne, Sheffield and Glasgow. The tour sees Travis team up with Bankuet to feed food banks this Christmas via the website bankuet.co.uk/givenow or by tapping to donate at any of the venues throughout the tour.  Fans can either make a donation via the Bankuet website and click “Eat the Beat” at checkout or tap to donate at any of the venues.  Then by either by showing their receipt or by making a donation on the night, fans then receive their donation badge from Bankuet volunteers at the merch stand at the gigs.

Fran Healy, Travis**’** lead singer and songwriter said:

"I was poor growing up, so we’re joining forces with Bankuet to help feed not only the growing number of people who are having to rely on food banks but those on low incomes faced with the choice of heating or eating this Christmas.”

“There is no shame in asking for help, I got free school dinners every day and that made me feel cared for and perhaps more importantly, knowing it helped my mum made it feel even better. Food banks are essential to help families and individuals in need to put food on the table in the UK. We're so lucky we have some extra money to buy a ticket to go see a gig, so please chuck in a few quid or get rid of your change or tap the app.”

Travis will help kick-start Bankuet’s Christmas 2024 #EATTHEBEAT appeal as the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite in the UK. Born out of a simple desire to help tackle food poverty, Bankuet’s mission is to get food banks what they need when they need it and to make donating to food banks more accessible. To date, Bankuet has raised over £4.5 million through fundraising campaigns to help keep food banks in the UK stocked in its fight to tackle food poverty.

Food banks report seeing more people through their doors who are unable to make ends meet, from students to nurses, teachers and police officers, as well as young people starting on the career ladder. Over half a million (655,000) people used a food bank for the first time between April 2023 and March 2024. December 2023 was the busiest month on record for UK food banks and this is set to increase as people are given the tough choice between eating and heating this winter.

London’s Greenwich Foodbank, one of the busiest food banks in the UK, has witnessed a 40% increase this year in food bank usage. Jamie Ginns, strategic head of Greenwich believes that

Christmas 2024 will be the toughest yet as demand exceeds supply for many food banks in the UK.

The Raze The Bar tour and collaboration with Bankuet follows a huge year for Travis. As telegraphed by new single 'Raze The Bar', currently playlisted on BBC Radio 2, the band's tenth studio album L.A. Times has seen Travis stepping into a bold new era. It marks a significant milestone for the band, released 25 years after their breakthrough #1 album, The Man Who, which is certified 9x Platinum in the UK alone. L.A. Times has received widespread praise from fans and media alike, with The Times calling it "a quiet joy", CLASH describing "a real charmer", tipped “as fresh as ever” by Metro and hailed as “a resounding return to form” by The Big Issue. The last remaining tickets for Travis’ Raze The Bar Tour are available to purchase here.

Raze The Bar Tour UK Headline Dates 2024