A new club night is helping people living in poverty by letting punters pay in an unusual way – with bags of pasta, tins of food and cereals.

‘Food for Thought’ will allow revellers to pay their entry in non-perishable food.

All the food will go to food banks around Manchester, and all the money raised will also be donated to charity.

The event takes place this Saturday at Antwerp Mansion, in Rusholme, and was thought up by DJ Rich Reason, who has run bass music night Hit & Run in Manchester for nine years.

He said: “It is a Hit & Run night with a difference. The amount of people in the UK using food banks has rocketed these last five years.“With this in mind I got in touch with Manchester Central Foodbank and they agreed to get involved.

“Representatives from the food bank will be there with us on the night to collect the food donated on the door.

“Anything that will last for a few weeks and that doesn’t need to be refrigerated will be taken as payment. You can pay £4 on the door, or bring four food items.

“We’ve brought together some of Manchester’s finest acts who are all playing for free, the venue has given us the space for free and people selling food on the night will be donating their profits as well.”

(Image: Zeyd Ayoob)

Among the DJs playing are Manchester stalwarts Chimpo, Skittles, Tonn Piper and Rich himself, as well as DJs from Now Wave, one of Manchester’s biggest promoters.

Rich was also one of a group of people that helped coordinate a number of ‘8 Gold Rings’ fundraisers in memory of popular Manchester DJ John Millett, known as Salford John, who was killed with a single punch last year.

They helped raise funds for John’s family and Salford Royal Hospital.

Rich, 33, from Old Trafford, added: “We always try and do things to help when we can. I did a party for Palestine which helped Médecins Sans Frontières in the country last year.

“I think club culture gets a bad rap, but underground club nights are generally very accepting places. It’s somewhere where you can be who you are and what we need is more unity and that’s something that I have tried to foster – that inclusivity.

“In Manchester all the artists will give you their time for free, and people are so happy to get involved, it’s a testament to the city we live in and its club scene that people are so willing to give up their time for good causes.”

For tickets go to https://tickets.partyforthepeople.org.uk/events/1135.