National food charity FoodCycle launches its second ever FoodCycle 50. The month-long challenge event invites people to raise vital funds by championing a sports challenge themed around the number 50.
From a daily dose of 50 star jumps to 50 laps in the local pool, participants are asked to hit their personal targets across 30 fun-filled days kicking off on 1st April.
FoodCycle CEO Mary McGrath MBE says: ”After a tough few months for everyone, we hope this fun and light-hearted fundraising event brings a smile to people’s faces. With the support of some amazing participants last year, we raised £11,000 which helped us to serve almost half a million meals across the UK in 2021. We can’t wait to see what incredible FoodCycle 50 challenges people come up with this April.”
Connecting communities by bringing people together to share food and conversation, FoodCycle empowers thousands of volunteers across the country to transform surplus food into healthy, delicious meals. Available to anyone that needs them, no questions asked, the weekly service helps to tackle the growing issues of food poverty and loneliness, both heightened by the pandemic and recent rise to living costs.
By offering a safe, welcoming space to enjoy a free meal and company, FoodCycle brings people from all backgrounds and walks of life together, improving mental wellbeing and strengthening community spirit.
By taking part in FoodCycle 50, people across the UK can take the chance to support FoodCycle’s aim to help strengthen and build resilient communities – while also lifting the spirits this spring! How fundraisers clock up the ‘50’ is up to them; from stomping the pavement for 50 minutes every morning to tackling 50 Tai Chi moves in a month. Adding an extra sprinkling of fun, participants can even up the ante by taking part dressed as their favourite fruit or vegetable.
Last year, the first-ever FoodCycle 50 challenge saw people across the country take part raising over £11,000 for FoodCycle. Across April 2021, spectators might have spotted a duo of tropical fruit completing a series of runs across London parks, a banana surfing near Newcastle, a strawberry wild swimming in Hertfordshire and a runner bean working up some muscles on the rowing machine.
FoodCycle 50 2021 participant Lucy Davies says, “Having been a check in and chat volunteer for a few months before taking part in FoodCycle 50, I saw this challenge as a chance to give back to the charity in a different way and contribute something to the lives of people in my local area. Running around London dressed as a pineapple always put a smile on people’s faces, at a time when everyone needed a pick me up. Knowing we were doing it for a good cause really kept us going!”
To sign up to Foodcycle 50 or for more information on FoodCycle visit http://www.foodcycle.org.uk/