Family, friends and neighbours of Stuart came out in full attire to help with the trolley dash on MondayFamily, friends and neighbours of Stuart came out in full attire to help with the trolley dash on Monday
Family, friends and neighbours of Stuart came out in full attire to help with the trolley dash on Monday

The Preston 'trolley dash' that collected food for free school meals

Fulwood man Stuart Singleton arranged a mascot-themed trolley dash, collecting donated food from local shops and businesses to donate to a foodbank in light of the current holiday hunger crisis.

As an emotional response to put a stop to holiday hunger, Fulwood man Stuart decided he wanted to give back to the community by encouraging local people to collect as much donated food as possible from local shops, cafes and businesses.

The fun trolley dash saw his friends and family follow a route, with trolleys in hand, collecting food on Monday October 26.

Stuart Singleton, 34, said: "When I saw the government stopped the free school dinners I knew I wanted to do something. I was just going to do it myself originally, and then I posted a status online asking if anyone would help support me.

"I woke up the next morning to an amazing response with comments of people saying they wanted to help. We gave people the right measures to volunteer safely, got mascot costumes and drivers together and planned a route.

"We did six stop-off points and everyone met there, people that had seen the route on social media even started coming outside of their houses to donate food. It was incredible how much we collected."

In a bid to put a stop to children going hungry, it has been widely reported that organisations across Preston and the rest of the UK have rallied in support of feeding children in need.

The donations were given to the Preston community-owned 'Here for Humanity' organisation who have used the produce to create their free children's dinners that have been delivered this week.

Other donations were given to Top Cafe, on Ribbleton Lane.

All photos provided by Mark McLoughlin Photography.

Related topics:

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.