Cost of living: Runners deliver donations to food banks

As food banks across the country call out for donations, runners have been loading up their backpacks to take goods to local drop offs. Why are they doing it and who are they helping?

Food Bank Run is a national movement that started in Hampshire and during February it wanted as many running clubs as possible across the UK to take part.

Runners take donations to their local food bank as part of their activity.

Figures show the number of people using food banks has reached 2.1m in the UK, up from 1.6m five years ago.

Since the Food Bank Run started in September more than 500 clubs, groups and Parkruns have got involved.

They said about 25 people take part in each food bank run, donating about 100kg of supplies.

Organisers said they made a big push for clubs to take part in February as it is a "key time of the year where families are hardest hit".

A spokesman said they'd been "astonished" by the level of support the running community had offered.

"From Falmouth in Cornwall, to Aberdeen up in Scotland, we've seen runners carrying supplies to support those in need and we know there are even more planned over the coming days and weeks," he said.

More than 2,500 runners from the Milton Keynes area donated five carloads of items to the MK Food Bank.

Redway Runners, said to be one of the largest running clubs in the UK, collected donations from all 147 of its February runs.

Club chairman Martin Lawrence said they wanted to take part in the Food Bank Run to do "something to help the people of Milton Keynes".

"Our runners took to it well," he said.

"We also involved the three local Parkruns in Milton Keynes and the cross country league we are part of."

MK Food Bank said in 2022 it gave out 26,000 food parcels, 40% more than in 2021 and almost double the amount distributed in 2019 with demand still increasing.

It said the runners' donations of more than 1,050 items was "amazing".

"When a community-minded running group decide to support a charity they really mean business, thank you to our super supporters at Redway Runners," it added.

Almost 20 members of Felixstowe Roads Runners set off on a 5km (3.1-mile) loop around the Suffolk town with rucksacks full of donations for the Salvation Army food bank.

Head coach Ian Duggan said further donations were also made by car as the club collected too much to be carried by the runners alone.

He said: "As runners we are usually focused on running for training or racing so it was lovely to be in a group with the shared purpose of supporting a great cause.

"I'm very proud of the club for joining the Food Bank Run project and members have already asked when we can do it again."

Captain Paul Williams, from the Salvation Army, said they were "very grateful" for the donations.

He wrote to the club, saying: "We couldn't do what we do without the support of people such as yourselves."

In recent weeks he said the food bank there had seen an increase in demand with about 40 families approaching for help in January.

"We recognise that the energy price hikes in April will also have an impact so we try to be ready," he added.

In Essex, more than 250 meals for people in need have been provided by members of a running and triathlon club.

Tracy Stratford from Harlow Running and Tri Club were determined to take part in the scheme even though their local food bank is located on "dark, windy country lanes".

So instead of members jogging there with their goods, Ms Stratford used club swimming, strength and running sessions to collect donations.

She said at least a bag was collected at each session.

Ms Stratford said the club had donated 107kg of products to Harlow Food Bank which she was told would provide 253 meals for people in need.

"It was particularly hitting to see a packing list for a family of five, which my family is, and seeing how little they'd be given, it's so sad.

"So to think that our club, along with the support of Harlow Parkrun, could donate so much to help local families, it makes us all proud," she said.

The movement has even been taken abroad.

Some 80 runners braved "gruelling conditions in ice-cold, rain-snowy weather" in Berlin on Saturday to join the group of Food Bank Run finishers.

Juliane Weymann said a diverse and inclusive group of members from various Berlin running clubs set off from four locations to the Berliner Tafel e.V. Berlin Food Bank Logistics Centre.

She said the amount of food and sanitary items dropped off was just "incredible" and runners had already requested to do it again.

She thanked the Food Bank Run team and the clubs that have taken part so far "for the great idea and inspiration".

"The UK absolutely inspired us," she said.

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