Utilita, the UK’s leading Smart Pay As You Go Energy supplier, is running ‘The Utilita Energy Hub-to-Hub Challenge’ in Leith to support South Leith Parish Foodbank whose vital fundraising and community-building activities have been curbed by the coronavirus crisis.
The charity fundraiser kicked off on 18th May and includes a team from the Leith Energy Hub either walking, running, cycling or skipping the equivalent distance from the Utilita Hub in Newport in the Isle of Wight to the Hub in Leith – totalling a whopping 516 miles.
They are clocking up the miles by making the most out of outdoor spaces, such as doing laps in their local park until they reach the 516-mile milestone.
To promote positive physical and mental health during the lockdown, members of the Utilita Energy Hub team are also recording their weekly body mass index, to demonstrate the health benefits of the challenge.
Debra Clason, Utilita Hub Manager in Leith, said: “The Utilita Energy Hubs exist to give local communities a place to go to talk about reducing their energy usage, as well as providing a space free of charge where local community groups and good causes can host their own activities, so we wanted to fill that current void with something equally as community-centred, whilst keeping the staff active to promote positive physical and mental wellbeing.
“Each Energy Hub has chosen a local charity or support group to raise money for, reflecting Utilita’s ethos of engaging with and supporting local communities.
“The team in Leith chose to fundraise for the South Leith Parish Foodbank because on a daily basis, we see people access the service, some of whom are also our customers. It’s a sobering thought to think there is an increasing need for reliance on food banks in the UK, with many families just one pay cheque away from becoming homeless.
“The energetic Hub team will happily put in the leg work and would be grateful for your donations via a dedicated JustGiving page to help them on their way.”
Rev Iain May, Chair of the South Leith Parish Church Food Bank, said: “The support from Utilita is really appreciated. In Leith, there are over 6,000 people, including over 1,500 children, who live on or below the poverty line.
“The efforts of the team from Utilita will make such a difference in allowing us to provide essential food to those in need in these challenging and difficult times.
“The support of the local business community here in Leith has been amazing, and Utilita has been in many ways at the forefront of this recently. So thanks again for all many miles, running, cycling, skipping that Utilita staff are doing, it will really make a difference.”
Visit the Leith Energy Hub JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/hub2hubchallenge
The Utilita Hub teams have been busy taking part in the challenge across the UK, clocking up more miles each day – please see an infographic providing an update on how far they have travelled below.
You can download this here: https://we.tl/t-7mqEN1fpzT
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