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Members of a gym have raised more than £1,000 for a village food bank.
Tom Jarrett, founder of Brigade Gym in Marden, challenged members to run and walk 837 miles - the equivalent of the distance from Land’s End to John O’Groats - to keep them active during lockdown.
The team completed the challenge in aid of Marden Food Bank, so they decided to double the distance, and completed the task with just minutes to spare on the last day of their six-week deadline.
They also smashed through their £837 fundraising target and raised more than £1,000, completing the challenge on February 28 as they had raised £1,130.38 by the time they handed over the cheque.
Mr Jarrett, a former Royal Marine, said: "I'm truly overwhelmed with what the members of our community have accomplished over the last six weeks.
“Not only did they cover double the distance that we initially set out to, but they did it during a national lockdown.
“They were out there, pounding the pavement in the sun, wind, rain and even snow with no complaints.
"I'm truly overwhelmed with what the members of our community have accomplished..."
“We had some members covering distances of 40-plus miles a week and saving dogs at the same time!”
During one of the runs, a Brigade member rescued an abandoned dog which is thought to have been dumped after being used on a puppy farm.
The dog was taken to the vets where she received vital treatment and has since been re-homed by an animal organisation.
The money donated to Marden Food Bank will pay for two weeks’ worth of food for the people they are currently supporting.
Mr Jarrett, 30, said: “The challenge wasn’t just about covering some serious miles, it was about raising money and awareness for the Marden Food Bank who do an incredible job supporting families in our community.
“I think our members have definitely achieved that and I was very proud to hand over the cheque to the vicar of the parish church on behalf of them.
“We only opened the doors to our new facility in Marden in October and we have already created such a special place and community which is all down to the members, so a big thank you to them.”
Mr Jarrett opened the doors of his fitness centre in Pattenden Lane in October last year after running outdoor bootcamps in the village over the summer.
Despite the gym being closed more than it’s been open, Mr Jarrett has almost 80 members signed up and he loaned out equipment for live fitness sessions during lockdown.
Brigade is due to re-open its doors on Monday.
