Staff from a Newcastle law firm are set to take their fundraising efforts for a city foodbank to new heights by tackling one of the Lake District’s most iconic peaks.
Eighteen members of the team at Hay & Kilner will be climbing Helvellyn, England’s third highest mountain, on Saturday (21 May) to raise money for Newcastle West End Food Bank, which has been adopted by staff as their dedicated charity for 2022.
And as a reminder of the project that they’re supporting, the team will be taking five rucksacks filled with tins and packets of food with them to the top, with more items being added for every £100 that they raise.
Starting in the village of Glenridding, the team is expecting to take around six hours to reach and return from the 3,118ft summit and is aiming to raise £1,000 on the day to add to the £1,200 that has already been raised for the Food Bank through activities including bake sales, a raffle, a Grand National sweepstake and a quiz.
Hay & Kilner staff have also recently begun a series of volunteer days with the Food Bank, helping to collect stock and organise the hundreds of deliveries that it makes around the west end of the city every week.
Founded in 2013, Newcastle West End Food Bank is one of the busiest in the UK and provides food parcels that feed over 30,000 people annually.
Headquartered on Benwell Lane, it runs food collection points in half a dozen other community locations and provides three days’ nutritionally balanced emergency food and support to local people who are referred to it in crisis.
Hay & Kilner is one of North East England’s leading independent law firms and provides comprehensive legal advice across every aspect of the law to businesses and individuals from both within and outside the region.
Trainee solicitor Lydia Sevenoaks, who is one of the organisers of the climb and a Food Bank volunteer, says: “We’ve got a real mixture within our team, from experienced hillwalkers to people who’ve never taken on anything like this sort of climb before, but we’re confident that we’ll be able to get everyone safely through the challenge and excited about what’s ahead of us.
“Newcastle West End Food Bank makes a crucial difference to the lives of thousands of people within our home city and the range of services it provides are absolutely invaluable.
“Volunteering with the Food Bank was a real eye-opener for us in terms of seeing just how much organisation goes into the delivery of the essential services it provides.
“Taking the tins and other food up the mountain with us will be a reminder of why we’re taking on this climb, as well as motivation to keep going when things get tough, but we’ll definitely be sharing the load around the team as we climb!”
To support Hay & Kilner’s fundraising drive for Newcastle West End Food Bank, please visit https://newcastlewestend.enthuse.com/pf/hayandkilnerhelvellynhike