As we race towards 1st April and the start of our second-ever FoodCycle 50 Challenge, we have a natter with some of our brilliant 2021 fundraisers to get some inspirational tips and fruit-based memories…
Meet Carly
For FoodCycle 50 2021, Head of Marketing Carly Shutes, completed 50 different activities dressed as a strawberry. From taking out the bins to wild swimming to food shopping, her fun-filled antics saw her raise £400.
WHAT DID TAKING PART IN FOODCYCLE 50 CHALLENGE 2021 MEAN TO YOU?
I loved that it forced me to push my boundaries by doing something stupid. The idea of going around my local town, performing these tasks dressed as a strawberry made me feel silly at first but I knew it would make other people smile. It was a bit random and that was the point of doing it and I ended up really enjoying it. The response I got from strangers who stopped to chat or just gave me a big grin, drove me to keep going.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO PEOPLE THINKING ABOUT TAKING PART THIS YEAR?
Just do it! You will get loads out of it. Also make sure you get dressed up as that brought the fun to it. Seeing the reactions in Sainsburys, when I went shopping in my strawberry outfit, made me happy for the rest of the day.
WHAT WAS THE BEST THING ABOUT TAKING PART IN FOODCYCLE 50?
It was the reaction I got from other people and the conversations it started. I got approached by strangers on the street and ended up speaking to people in my local community. It made everyone’s day in the FoodCycle office, my weekly bootcamp session loved it and, when I went wild swimming in the lake, I even had them offer me a kayak escort to make sure I stayed safe!
HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT FUNDRAISING?
I mainly reached out to my friends and family via social media. I’m part of lots of outdoor Facebook groups and local community groups so I made sure I posted with a link to my JustGiving page and loads of pictures of me in action to get people inspired.
ARE YOU PLANNING ON TAKING PART THIS YEAR AND WHAT ARE PLANNING ON DOING?
Of course! I’m planning on travelling 50k with a combination of walking and swimming. I’m yet to decide which fruit or veg outfit I’m going to go for yet, but I’ll make sure it is attention-grabbing.
Meet Kirsty
Dedicated FoodCycle Birmingham volunteer Kirsty Preston, decided to do something a little different for FoodCycle 50 last year. She pledged to combine walking, running and litter-picking and try to do at least a few minutes of these activities up to 500,000 times across April. Raising £120, she smashed that challenge racking up an amazing 540,246 mini walks, runs, and litter picking sessions.
WHAT DID TAKING PART IN FOODCYCLE 50 CHALLENGE 2021 MEAN TO YOU?
I wanted to challenge myself to do something I enjoy whilst raising money for a great cause. I had seen firsthand throughout lockdown how FoodCycle was having a positive impact on people’s lives, and I knew I could help this continue not only by volunteering but also raising funds which would help the charity to expand. It helped that the litter picking would help my local community and the environment too.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO PEOPLE THINKING ABOUT TAKING PART THIS YEAR?
Do it! Enjoy rising to the challenge whilst having fun.
WHAT WAS THE BEST THING ABOUT TAKING PART IN FOODCYCLE 50?
Getting to share what the FoodCycle does and how I got involved as a volunteer. Family, friends, neighbours and people in the community have all have messaged, supported or reached out as a result. Spreading the FoodCycle message and great work that is achieved could open the doors to more funds being raised or gaining more support and I just love being a part of that.
HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT FUNDRAISING?
I used Facebook to connect with family and friends.
ARE YOU PLANNING ON TAKING PART THIS YEAR AND WHAT ARE PLANNING ON DOING?
I would love to – I just have to figure out how to top last year!
Meet Lucy
For FoodCycle 50 2021, FoodCycle volunteer, Lucy Davies and her friend Molly brought a bit of fun to South London parks by pledging to run 50k dressed as a banana and a pineapple. Their fruity antics saw them raise an amazing £800.
WHAT DID TAKING PART IN FOODCYCLE 50 CHALLENGE 2021 MEAN TO YOU?
After 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 many 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 kept us going. I was also on full-time furlough at the time with my friend Molly, so it really motivated us and gave us a goal to focus on.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO PEOPLE THINKING ABOUT TAKING PART THIS YEAR?
Just do it – once your signed up and dedicated your spare time to dress as a piece of fruit then there is no going back!
WHAT WAS THE BEST THING ABOUT TAKING PART IN FOODCYCLE 50?
The best part was knowing that you were doing it for a good reason, particularly at a time during lockdown when people needed our help the most and loneliness was affecting more people than ever. All of the laughs along the way made it way more fun than your average charity run!
HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT FUNDRAISING?
We set up a GoFundMe page and also made our own Instagram page @thefurloughedfruit – this was great for getting our friends involved and raising awareness about FoodCycle.
