Nuneaton & Bedworth Healthy Living Network (HLN) are a charity that began reducing health inequalities in 2003 and drives EdibleLinks based in Atherstone which is a food bank helping vulnerable people and families in their time of need.

I have volunteered in my spare time for the last three years and have watched the project go from strength to strength even though funding has been reduced and they now run on a shoestring.

The project started as a simple food bank in April 2013, within the first month collecting 40 to 60 boxes of surplus food from Ocado.  In February 2016, HLN took over, rebranded as Ediblelinks and quickly grew, trialling new projects aimed at preventing residents and the wider community  from reaching crisis point.  The project goal is to move away from restoration to prevention, catching people early, before they reach food crisis and suffer with associated mental and physical ill health.  For this reason, Ediblelinks works with and supplies many other community groups to extend their reach and impact.  Prior to Covid-19 they were supporting 12,500 people per month.  They are now starting to see demand return to pre pandemic numbers and predict that the numbers will rise due to the cost of living increases.

Working closely with Ocado, they are able to meet community need.  For example, demand increases through school holidays, Christmas periods and in the winter and they can tailor the products they receive to meet the needs of communities with items such as fresh fruit, vegetables and meat, household items, baby food and milk and school uniforms.

They are reliant on large numbers of volunteers, many with lived experience and they are able to tell them first hand what works and what doesn't. They explain the challenges and the support needed to tackle the multiple issues faced.

Listening to the wider community, Ediblelinks have started a Social Supermarket in Atherstone Town Centre.  Social Supermarkets aim to fill the gap between foodbanks and discount supermarkets.  people can need help for  a variety of reasons and the Social Supermarket will also support individuals to access partner organisations, offer 1-1 food skills and awareness raising of additional help available to people.

Ediblelinks needs funding to support the things that don't come free from their partners or volunteer hours.  Volunteers need someone to supervise them, keep them safe and train them.  They have to pay for their warehouses, insurance, pay for diesel and rising utility costs are a big concern.  They currently have  a predicted £60k deficit in their budget this year and it would be fantastic if I could raise enough money to help cover this deficit at a time when we know that demand will go up from vulnerable individuals and families  in this time of austerity.

The Murph Challenge will involve me doing a 1 mile run, followed by 100 pull ups, 200 press up's and 300 air squats and finishing off with another 1 mile run whilst wearing a weighted vest and this is one of the hardest challenges that I have ever taken on.   The event will be on 28th May 2022 at 10:30am  being held at JMS Fitness, The Machine House, Moira, Swadlincote, DE12 6EG