Councillor's year-long running challenge ends with £1.2k foodbank donation

Councillor Khaled Noor, who last year set himself a challenge to run 5km each week to raise money for struggling families, reached his target in April having clocked up around 400 kilometres and raised £1,200 - above his target of £1,000.

The money has gone towards 1.5 tonnes of food and household items for the foodbank, to help families finding it hard to make ends meet during the coronavirus pandemic.

Cllr Noor’s challenge involved running through the snow during the winter and while fasting during Ramadan.

He said: “I am pleased to have the opportunity to deliver much needed food and other household items to those in need within our local community.

“As Ramadan was a special time of giving to those less fortunate, I delivered food parcels to Redbridge Foodbank on Saturdays.

“These gifts were funded by donations I received during my year-long charity run."

Cllr Noor said he appreciated all those who donated and supported his efforts.

He added that the impact of Covid-19 is disproportionately high for black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities and felt the pandemic "has exposed the underlying deprivation and inequalities in health and society that exist within the UK."

"Some ethnic groups are more likely to suffer economically than others from this Covid-19 crisis," he believes.

Most legal restrictions have ended but Cllr Noor thinks there is a "collective responsibility" to continue looking after those in need.

"It is our moral responsibility to do all we can to ensure that families and children are not going to bed hungry as parents cannot afford to put food on their plates.”

The money raised by Cllr Noor went towards 1.5 tonnes of food and household items for Redbridge Foodbank (Image: Cllr Khaled Noor)

Cllr Noor gave special thanks to members of Jogging 4 Healthy Living, a jogging club which he set up after his first year-long charity run, which he completed in September 2019.