Hairy Biker Si King releases charity single to raise money for food banks

He is best known as one half of the Hairy Bikers, the TV chefs and best mates who have become national treasures through their passion for food and travel.

But perhaps less well known about Si King is that he is also a keen musician and drummer of Geordie four-piece Little Moscow. 

And now the band, which plays a blend of funk, rock, blues and disco tunes, has partnered up with food bank network the Trussell Trust to increase awareness of food poverty and fight for a hunger-free future. 

Support The Big Issue and our vendors by signing up for a subscription.

Speaking to Sky News, King explained that with so many people struggling during the pandemic and even before that, the band wanted to help.

“There was a sense of frustration with all the lads in the band that what we were seeing unfold, particularly across the pandemic but also prior to that, was people just not being able to afford the the basics of life,” he said. 

"There was a sense of frustration that what we were seeing was people not being able to afford the basics."

Si King of the Hairy Bikers has released a single to raise money for Trussell Trust's hunger free future campaign.

Get today's top stories: https://t.co/ZjpyjwMFSMpic.twitter.com/CNtZdKPhmX

— Sky News (@SkyNews) April 28, 2021

The Trussell Trust has more than 1,200 food banks across the UK, indicating the sheer scale of people needing help. The Trust said food banks faced “historic levels of need” in 2020 as the pandemic raged. 

Footballer and campaigner Marcus Rashford is perhaps the best-known star fighting to end food poverty. 

Working with charity FareShare, he raised tens of millions for vulnerable young people and forced the Government into a u-turn to provide free school meal vouchers over the summer holiday.

More recently, Rashford has backed the Right To Food campaign to outlaw hunger and launched a new venture to help families cook healthy meals with Healthy Start vouchers. 

Following in the Manchester United ace’s footsteps, King’s band has released a selection of specialist merchandise that will help raise much-needed funds for The Trussell Trust’s Hunger Free Future campaign.

100 per cent of the profits of Little Moscow’s new single Waiting for The Sun and the new merchandise will help those in need.

King added: “We just thought, ‘Well, look, we’ve got to do something about this’.

“We were frustrated that in the UK in 2021 there was a necessity for [food banks], which was shocking to us. 

“People use food banks for various reasons, it’s not just one reason its an accumulative effect of maybe losing a job or [being a carer] and it was just shocking for us. 

“So we wanted to do something to raise awareness of the issue but also to just bring a little bit of light and air into what is quite a heavy subject.”