1,500 meals delivered in first month of ‘Run, Row, Ride’ campaign

We’re delighted to announce that through everyone’s magnificent support and donations to our ‘Run, Row, Ride’ scheme, we have provided 1,500 meals to those in Bedfordshire who need them most.

The ‘Run, Row, Ride’ scheme launched initially on 5th May 2020, and we have been overwhelmed by everyone’s generosity. Every kilometre you have ran, rowed or cycled and then donated has gone straight towards having a direct impact on someone’s life, providing those affected by the COVID-19 crisis with essential meals.

Through the initiative, we are proud to have linked up with several charities in the local area and help contribute to their wider support within Bedfordshire.

Earlier this month we were able to provide 84 meals to Emmaus Village Carlton, a homelessness charity based in Bedfordshire who offer active support to formerly homeless people. They work extremely hard to provide a real workable alternative to homelessness, offering people a home and meaningful work through their social enterprise.

Chief Community Officer of Emmaus Village Carlton, Angela Foll said: “One of our great concerns has been our ability to feed all our companions. The generous donation of frozen meals from the Blues Foundation provides two meals for each companion. We’re very grateful for their support during these times.”

We have also been able to assist local housing charity, Penrose, part of the Social Interest Group. One of their support services, Holman House, is located right in the heart of Bedford Town Centre and we have been able to provide 32 meals to the site for the last few weeks.

This has made a massive difference with one resident saying: “It makes me happy that people are thinking of us and helping us. I struggle to cook sometimes because of my mental health and having a meal ready to eat makes things easier and I feel better when I eat.”

Housing & Resettlement Support Worker, Gemma Bonfield added: “We don’t have the facilities or resources to provide food; I was really excited that the Blues Foundation agreed to support us. Thank you to everyone involved in this wonderful project.”

Our ability to reach out and support the wider community of Bedfordshire throughout the current pandemic would not have been possible without the hard work and generosity of the #BluesFamily and the general public.

We thank everyone for their tremendous efforts so far, but this current situation isn’t going anywhere soon, and we need further support. Read all the details of how to partake in the ‘Run, Row, Ride’ campaign here.

We’d also like to thank Bedfordshire & Luton Community Foundation for their funding support during the first month of the campaign and extend our gratitude to the High Sheriff of Bedfordshire, Susan Lousada for her support and commitment to the initiative. We are also delighted to have support from the Belron Ronnie Lubner Community Foundation and Bedfordshire Free Masons, thank you for supporting this project.

Don’t forget to keep sending in your pictures and videos from your ‘Run, Row, Ride’ attempts! You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.