University staff raise over £4,000 for Highland Foodbank

University of the Highlands and Islands employees have handed over £4135.17 to Highland Foodbank following a major fundraising drive.

Staff took part in a range of activities to raise cash for the Foodbank in 2014 after they voted for it to be their charity of the year. Events included bake sales, raffles, a bowling night and a bag pack at Asda in Inverness.

Individual members of staff also undertook personal challenges to contribute to the cause. In the spring, seventeen employees walked, cycled, swam or ran for 5K every day for 50 days in the 5 x 50 Challenge, raising £826.88. The group included Jacki Graham from Nairn, Nicola Smith from Fort William, Iain Morrison from Portmahomack, Roger Sendall from Culbokie, Melissa Schouten from Rosemarkie, Tim Skyrme from Pitcalnie, Easter Ross and 11 employees from Inverness.

Heather Fotheringham from Ardersier and Jeanne Boyd, Jane Scott, Tara Black, Lyndsay MacColl and Helen Anton from Inverness then raised £287 by completing events in Baxters Loch Ness Festival of Running in September.

Speaking about the 5 x 50 challenge as well as her colleagues fundraising efforts as a whole, Jacki Graham from Nairn, a quality monitoring officer at the university, said: “The 5 x 50 Challenge was a great way to get into the habit of walking, running or swimming more and of being more active in general. The target of covering five kilometres a day was easily reached and many participants kept it up throughout the remainder of the year. Staff at the university put in a great effort to raise as much as possible for the Foodbank and will no doubt outdo themselves in their fundraising activities for 2015!”

Roger Sendall, a corporate governance manager at the university who lives in Culbokie, added: “The 5 x 50 Challenge was a fantastic, fun way to raise money for the Highland Foodbank and keep fit. I have always enjoyed regular exercise so the hardest part for me was motivating my children to come with me each day. I’m delighted the staff managed to raise such a great amount for charity.”

The university’s donation will be used to support the work of Highland Foodbank, an Inverness-based charity which works in collaboration with partner agencies to support clients who are facing financial crisis and are unable to buy food.

Welcoming the contribution, Lorna Dempster, Highland Foodbank coordinator for Inverness and Nairn, said: “Highland Foodbank is extremely grateful to the University of the Highlands and Islands employees for the hard work and commitment to fundraising for us during 2014. This is an amazing amount of money which has been raised and will be so helpful to us as we continue to provide food to those within our communities who are in crisis.”

University employees now hope to raise even more money for their charity of 2015, Macmillan Cancer Support.