An East Durham running club has raised more than £400 to help battle poverty in the area.
Run Peterlee spent the latter half of last year fundraising for East Durham Trust with members deploying a number of techniques to raise the funds, ranging from a monthly bonus ball to end of year raffle. In addition to the cash donation, the group also donated a vast amount of non-perishable food items to the Trust's emergency food parcel project FEED. These items were collected at Run Peterlee's 5K trail event held last summer. Malcolm Fallow, CEO at East Durham Trust, said: "It is fantastic to see a local community group coming together to support a charity on their doorstep. Many of the Trust's projects and interventions rely very much on the good will and kind gestures of volunteers and the wider community. Without such support, it would not be possible to continue to deliver the work we do. This generous donation will be put to very good use in helping those who are less fortunate within our community." He added: "It is particularly significant that it is a group of runners who put the charity at the heart of their fundraising efforts. As well as supporting the community with various poverty related interventions such as a Food Bank, benefit and debt advice, the Trust also manages 'Run East Durham', an initiative to help encourage local residents to take up physical activity. It is through this project that the group originally established their link and the relationship has developed from here." An East Durham charity, which distributes hot food and emergency parcels to those in financial hardship, has received a £10,000 cash boost to increase its services to those in need.
The Big Lottery's Award for All grant will be used to improve the kitchen facilities of East Durham Trust's People's Takeaway - a volunteer-led service, which prepares and distributes meals to people facing financial difficulties. The extra funding will see more meals delivered and a wider variety of food on offer. It will also support the provision of family arts and crafts activities at the charity's building Community House, which also includes a free meal for those that come along. The Trust already distributes around 100 food parcels every week and around 30 hot food deliveries to those who are struggling financially. Chief executive Malcolm Fallow said: "The impact of welfare reform and austerity has been catastrophic for many people in the local area with many struggling to feed themselves or their family on a regular basis. With such lack of cash, families also struggle to find social activities to enjoy as a family. This grant from the Lottery will allow the Trust to help many local people in such situations, providing a meal and activity for free." He added: "Such support wouldn't be available without those who play the National Lottery and so we would like to say a special thanks for their support too." The new programme of family activity will start in April, with various sessions taking place in the Easter holidays too. Comedy star Ricky Tomlinson officially opened up the new extension at an East Durham foodbank and challenged MPs to swap places with those on Universal Credit.
The actor - best known for his roles as Jim in 'The Royle Family' and 'Mike Bassett - England Manager' - visited Peterlee's East Durham Trust as demand for food parcels in the area have increased due to the new controversial benefit system. The increase has meant the Trust has had to open a new room to keep up with the demands. Staff and volunteers now help well over 100 individuals and families every week, which is why it has called the new facility 'The Universal Credit Room'. Speaking about foodbanks and officially opening the new room, Ricky said: "I'm sat in the middle of a room stocked with food that is going to be used by people who can't afford food or don't have anything to eat. It makes me feel very, very proud to be here and be part of this but it also makes me very, very angry because in 2019, in one of the richest countries on the planet, this shouldn't be happening." Ricky said he felt strongly about people in the UK struggling to eat and live and believes there needs to be change in the system. He added: "Let's have an experiment where we get a group of MPs and put them in a council house and give them the exact benefits that the people they are replacing live on." Malcolm Fallow, CEO of East Durham Trust, said: "Universal Credit is a devastating part of the welfare's economy and the issue around it is the amount of time people have to wait before they get any money." Mining a rich seam of poetry - youngsters help organise poetry event at former miners welfare hall5/3/2019
Youngsters organised a major poetry event in the unlikely setting of a former Miners Welfare Hall.
Almost 100 people attended the event at Blackhall Community Centre, one of the first of it’s kind in this area. The event was part of East Durham Trust’s 'No More Nowt Happens' project, which is funded by County Durham Community Foundation and supported by East Durham Creates, a project funded by Arts Council England. Read more here. It was no laughing matter for television funnyman Ricky Tomlinson when he opened a foodbank extension needed to cope with spiralling demand for the service.
Mr Tomlinson, well known as Jim Royle from sitcom The Royal Family and roles in Brookside, Cracker and Mike Bassett: England Manager, unveiled the new storage facility created by East Durham Trust, in Peterlee. For the full story (including video clip) click here. A GROUP of young people organised a major poetry event in the unlikely setting of a former miners’ welfare hall.
Almost 100 people attended the reading in Blackhall Community Centre, in east Durham. The event was part of East Durham Trust’s 'No More Nowt Happens' project, funded by County Durham Community Foundation supported by East Durham Creates, a project funded by Arts Council England. For the full story click here. A TV star has challenged MPs to give up their salaries in exchange for Universal Credit and a council house as he cut the ribbon to a foodbank extension.
Ricky Tomlinson was at East Durham Trust's Food Emergency East Durham (FEED) in Peterlee to officially open their storage room where donated food will be kept to be turned into emergency parcels for struggling families and individuals. Read the full article (and watch video clip) here. |
LocationEast Durham Trust
Community House Yoden Road Peterlee SR8 5DP T: 0191 5693511 Charity No: 1117642 Company No: 05934124 |
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