Charity of the Week

Food Bank Run in Fareham

We're Gonna Need a Bigger Bag!

Run out to help out in Fareham

Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best. And we are delighted to share with the altruistic runABC readers a cracking scheme that could make a huge difference to people in the local community.

Food Bank Run was started by members of Fareham Running Club in Hampshire in February 2018 and the concept is being rolled out nationwide this winter. So how did the idea of the Food Bank Run take root?

Sarah Don was and is the driving force behind Food Bank Run, having responded to an idea from her Fareham RC club secretary for a rather different training run. As soon as it was clear the run would be fun and helping people in less fortunate circumstances Sarah was sold. 

The first Food Bank Run was expected to involve around 20 runners carrying small quantities of donated food to the Waypoint Hub at Waypoint Church, Titchfield Common, where a lone volunteer from the local food bank was waiting with a single 'bag for life' for the collection.

The photo above tells the story better than any words. Up to 100 big-hearted runners carried rucksacks full of essential supplies that left the food bank representative overwhelmed and speechless, rendering that 'bag for life' useless!

Since then Fareham RC has carried out equally successful Food Bank Runs each year apart from one Covid-restricted February. The latest effort, on 8th February 2022, was the biggest and best so far with dozens of bags filled, plus three car loads that simply couldn't be carried by the runners.   

Now Sarah wants the Food Bank Run to be taken up by clubs and running groups all over the UK. The number of people using food banks has exceeded 2 million in the past two years – having more than doubled over seven years – according to statistics compiled by UK Food Bank Charity, The Trussell Trust.

Full details of the process and the history of Food Bank Run are on this blog published by running apparel specialists runr.co.uk who are right behind this brilliant scheme.

Image courtesy Food Bank Run on Facebook

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