AN AVID walker stepped out for a marathon in aid of the Trussell Trust as foodbank use continues to rocket in Stratford.
Stratford Foodbank trustee Maggie Hedger walked the marathon along the Stratford to Birmingham Canal to raise vital cash for the Trussell Trust through their Race Against Hunger virtual walk.
The 26 mile walk took Maggie through the suburbs of Birmingham and Solihull and on to the remote stretches around Wootton Wawen.
And two pairs of trail shoes and seven pairs of socks later, Maggie arrived at the Canal Basin in Stratford.
Maggie said that in all her walking career she has never walked in such muddy conditions for so long, with 85 per cent of the towpath being slippery mud or deep puddles, but all was worthwhile to raise funds for a charity that is now supporting more people than ever.
In March Stratford Foodbank fed 549 people, which represents a 72 per cent increase on March 2022.
Nationally, the picture is that between April 1 and September 30 last year, foodbanks in the Trussell Trust’s UK-wide network distributed 1.3 million food parcels to people facing hardship – this is an increase of 52 per cent compared to the same period in 2019.
Half a million of those parcels were distributed to children.
The Trussell Trust supports a nationwide network of more than 1,300 food bank centres, providing emergency food and support to people locked in poverty, as well as working to challenge the structural issues that force people to use food banks.
Donations to support the Trussell Trust can be made via trusselltrust.enthuse.com/pf/hannah-hedger
