Barry Cox, 63, customer assistant at Booths Keswick is raising funds to fill the shelves at the North Lakes Food Bank.
“I was humming one of Paul Simon’s 70’s hits of my youth from the album Still Crazy after All these Years, and I thought maybe it could be an inspiration to raise funds for the local foodbank. I adapted “50 Ways to Leave your Lover” to “50 Ways to Live Your Lockdown,” said Barry.
“Initially I thought I would just send my friends 50 quirky “lockdown” inspired photos to gain donations from my network of friends and family, but the whole idea has gathered a bit of pace and we’ve raised nearly £2000.00. Each day I post photos to remind people to donate to the food bank. Booths have generously offered to support my campaign by supplying key groceries at cost price.”
“The scheme is a win all round as foodbanks are welcoming food donations over cash donations during the crisis, so with the help of Booths we are able to make use of logistics and make valuable donations stretch a bit further.”
Barry has worked for Booths for 12 years and used to manage a hotel in the Lake District.
“Lots of families may find themselves in uncertain circumstances for the very first time, and foodbanks are an important safety net. Tourism is the Cumbria’s biggest industry and people are facing some particularly challenging times.”
Matt Welsh, Store Manager for Keswick said, “We’re really proud of Barry’s efforts, Booths operates at the very heart of local communities. We can all play our part to help families to cope in these uncertain times.”
“My church in town and Booths support the Foodbank anyway, but I thought we could just step it up a bit during this crisis. It’s been great to feel part of a wider community and help make life a bit easier for families struggling to put food on the table,” said Barry.
The Link to Barry’s Just Giving page is below and all money raised goes to the North Lakes Food Bank.
