Boarders Cycle 1130km for the North Devon Food Bank – West Buckland School

07 Dec 2022

West Buckland School students and staff raise £1,300 for the North Devon Food Banks after cycling and running ‘to the Antarctic’.

A combination of boarders and staff at West Buckland School, in North Devon, last weekend cycled and ran a total of 1130km and raised a staggering £1,400 for The North Devon Food Bank.

The team cycled and ran the Hercules Inlet. This sits on the Ronne Ice Shelf in the Antarctic and is one of the common starting points for long distance expeditions to the South Pole and the 1130km represents the distance from the edge of the South Pole to the actual South Pole. The distance was reach using four people per session, with two on cross-trainers and two on exercise bikes, to cover the distance over the course of a weekend. Staff and students all played their part to ensure that the distance was covered and that we raised a significant amount of money for the local charity.

At West Buckland, students are aware that they are not just part of a school but of a wider, rural community and that they play an important part in that community. In September, the boarders painted West Buckland village hall, after a plea for help from the village. This year’s cycle ride will assist the very important work that North Devon Food Bank is doing in these difficult times. According to recent reports from the Trussell Trust, food bank use has increased at least 13% in the last year. Around 14 million people in the UK are living in poverty.

Between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022, food banks in the UK distributed over 2.1 million emergency food parcels to people in crisis. This is an increase of 14% compared to the same period in 2019/20. 832,000 of these parcels went to children.

Every £1 donated will ensure a school child and their family has the food needed for a nutritious meal.

James Conlon, Houseparent at West Buckland, was the organiser behind the event: “I am so proud of the West Buckland School community, not only the runners and riders themselves, but also the way that parents and those connected with the school have responded to the challenge. The students know how important the money they have raised is for North Devon and they were determined to get involved.”