A campaign to raise vital funds for a York-based community project has smashed its original target, raising almost triple with help from a local corporate initiative.
Footsteps for Food is a campaign launched by York-based charity Door 84 to alleviate hunger by directly supporting their Community Cafe, a place for people to access free and discounted food.
Launched with a goal of £3,500, the campaign has now exceeded £10,000, supported by The Aviva Community Fund and Aviva Employee Giving.
To raise money for the cause, Door 84’s part-time fundraiser Sue Kemp took part in the Three Peaks Challenge, a 24-mile round trip covering the peaks of Pen-y-Ghent, Whernside, and Ingleborough in under 12 hours.
Door 84 offers a wide range of services for young people, adults, and families in York. To ensure members have access to affordable food, the charity sources produce from national food redistribution charity FareShare.
This food is then made available through the Community Café, where locals can eat, drink, connect, and access support from visiting professionals.
Sue, who has been involved with the charity for around 18 months, was keen to take on the personal challenge to help vulnerable families and individuals in York.
“I wanted to do something individually to help raise funds as I know how much they are needed,” she said.
The original target of £3,500 was intended to cover 12 months’ worth of produce. But in what Sue called “miraculous,” donations surged after the climb. They eventually surpassed £10,000, and are still rising.
The climb
Sue completed the Three Peaks Challenge on 26 April, accompanied by 11 members of FitClub York. The group set off at 6:30am to tackle the first peak.
By that point, more than £4,000 had already been donated by nearly 50 supporters and The Aviva Community Fund, which matched individual donations of up to £250.
Motivated by the growing support, Sue said she was determined to finish.
“One thing that made the day more enjoyable was the sense of fun and shared experience amongst all the groups doing the 3 Peaks challenge that day,” she said.
“Lots of charity fundraising was happening, some were just doing it for the fun, but everyone was supporting one another and acknowledging that whatever level of fitness you had it was a tough walk and a day that we would all remember for a long time.”
In the weeks following the challenge, Sue was surprised to see an increase in additional donations.
“When I checked, there were multiple donations of £40 and a note on the supporters page that told me it was from Aviva Employee Giving,” she explained.
Aviva had already contributed nearly £2,000 through its Community Fund, but soon it became clear that something even bigger was happening.
In addition to the fund, Aviva gives each employee £40 to donate to a charity of their choice.
Over 100 employees chose to support Door 84, which brings the current total to £10,190.
Sue described the outcome as “unbelievable.”
“Door 84 is now able to do more to help alleviate hunger across York over the coming year. They will be able to increase the quantity of food purchased and distributed through their Community Cafe,” she added.
What’s next?
The fundraising doesn’t stop there. The second phase of the campaign, Footsteps for Food: Part 2, will take place this August, with Door 84 securing 10 charity places in the Jane Tomlinson Run for All York 10K.
To follow or support the campaign, visit Door 84’s Crowdfunder page.