Food Bank Run Comes To Hardwick Park
North East runners show support for food poverty charity...
Members of County Durham athletics club Sedgefield Harriers have held a special event to support North East food poverty charity Feeding Families. Linked to a national initiative called Food Bank Run, the Harriers combined the donation of essential items with a series of runs and a walk from Hardwick Park.
Club members were asked to bring food and personal care items to a temporary Feeding Families collection point in Hardwick Park on Sunday (12 February) morning. Items were collected at Sedgefield junior parkrun, which many young Harriers participate in, and then other members led senior runners on a choice of seven or 10 mile trail runs, or a walk. One group set off earlier from Coxhoe and ran to Hardwick Park.
Feeding Families is a charity based in North East England that offers support, hope and security to those experiencing food poverty. Working closely with other organisations and agencies, the organisation ensures that thousands of families in desperate need have access to emergency food boxes and other support packages. Scores of Sedgefield Harriers took part in the event on Sunday and donated enough items to fill about 40 emergency food boxes.
Sarah McPhie, communications and fundraising manager at Feeding Families comments: “We were blown away by the generosity of those who donated today! A huge thank you to Sedgefield Harriers for arranging the food collection and for bringing the charity's need to the forefront of so many people’s minds. The food will be sorted this week at our packing centre, where it will be put into emergency food boxes and distributed to our communities. It was wonderful to see so many people of all ages come forward to drop off their donations.”
Feeding Families has recruited a large team of volunteers in Sedgefield and Fishburn who pack boxes every week. The packing centre is currently hosted by Fishburn Youth and Community Centre, but the charity is currently searching for an exclusive longer term base in the area.
For more information about Sedgefield Harriers, visit their website or follow them on Twitter.
Image: Peter Milburn