Mayor of Folkestone - 15K Walk and Run

As an opportunity to raise awareness and money for my three chosen charities this year, I will be walking/running in the Folkestone 5k Parkrun on Saturday 26th April and on Saturday 3rd May walking a 10k circuit of Folkestone passing landmarks chosen by Folkestonians in a social media campaign that will be live the second half of March. My walking route will be chosen by the people of Folkestone and will then be turned into a walking route that can be used by anyone who wants to enjoy the best parts of Folkestone whilst keeping fit and getting a good dose of Vitamin D. Anyone is free to join me for all or part of my walk – I will be posting the route prior to the walk in addition if you want to be part of the fundraising effort please pop into the town hall for a sponsorship form.

All money raised will go to the following wonderful charities:

1. Home-start Shepway believe every child deserves the best start in life and need your help to make that happen. Being a parent has never been easy. It can be lonely, frustrating, heartbreaking, overwhelming and all parents struggle at one time or another. That is why Home-Start Shepway is here to help families through their most challenging times. Since Home-Start Shepway was established in 1995, they have helped over 6,801 families and supported over 12,959 children with 700+ volunteers. They provide support through home visits, group work adhering to the EYFS framework, parenting programmes, trips and outings, online support sessions , one-to-one phone support and encouraging access to local green and blue space. Find out more about them at https://homestartshepway.org.uk/

2. Folkestone Community Fridge CIC (FCF) is a volunteer - run, ecological project focused on reducing food waste. On average their team collects and processes 3,500 kg of good food each month, and offers free of charge to anyone in the community who can use it. That equates to approximately 7,250 meals! As well as preventing food waste, their volunteers and visitors report feeling less lonely & more connected to their community. Their task force of 46 volunteers, is multi - generational with children, parents & grandparents all working together and learning new skills, through training offered by FCF. They have wonderful future plans to extend our service in a variety of ways. Please support us in getting there!

Find out more here -https://www.facebook.com/Folkestonecommunityfridge/

3. My final charity is Folkestone Nepalese Community - https://fncuk.org/ - to support Gurkha veterans and their families residing in Folkestone. FNC completes its mission by doing the following: the advancement of education and training, the relief of poverty, sickness and distress, the promotion of good health and the provision of recreational facilities in the interests of social welfare with the object of improving their conditions of life. They aim to advance the education of the public on all aspects of Nepalese history and culture.