Members of Community Fit, a project led by Harrogate and District Community Action, raised the money by taking part in the UK’s biggest obstacle course event Total Warrior. The fundraising was also boosted by founding member Janet Ross tackling a section of the Camino Way in Spain over the summer.
The group celebrated the fundraising with 17 members visiting the Artizan café on Cambridge Road to give an hour of volunteering support and to enjoy refreshments and a talk from founder Susie Hart.
Community Fit provides an opportunity for people to be active and social whilst giving time to help Harrogate’s people and spaces. Every Wednesday evening a group run or walk together at an easy, chatty pace to a local charity, school, community group or environmental project where they help out for an hour before heading back. Helping out involves anything from sorting donations, gardening, delivering leaflets, tidying a warehouse, litter picking or digging ponds. The project is currently funded by the UK government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and by National Lottery Funding from Sport England.
Community Fit has helped Artizan on a number of occasions on a Wednesday evening by preparing craft resources for their creative workshop sessions. The Harrogate based charity uses craft productions, art therapy and social enterprise to support and empower people with a disability both in the UK and Latin America.
Community Fit celebrating their fundraising success with the team from Artizan International
Community Fit member Janet said: “We were really keen to support one of the charities that has benefited from Community Fit’s work over the last couple of years. Artizan are an incredible charity doing some really important work in this country and overseas. I have been lucky enough to experience first-hand the work they do in Peru to support people with a disability to thrive who would otherwise live in poverty.”
Janet continues: “I love the impact we make as a group at Community Fit. By joining forces on a Wednesday evening we can collectively make a real difference to our local communities while only contributing a small portion of our time.”
Artizan’s Finance Director Sarah Davis says “The Community Fit group are so flexible and willing to help, turning their hands to anything to help us with the work we do, no matter how small or large the task!”
To find out more about Community Fit or to sign up to join the team on a Wednesday evening visit www.hadca.org.uk/communityfit
