University of Warwick Women’s Netball Club run 4.2 million meters for charity

The University of Warwick Women’s Netball Club (UWWNC) are running 4.2 million metres over the course of term three in aid of The Warwick Trussell Trust.

The Trussell Trust supports a nationwide network of food banks which gave emergency food parcels to almost 3 million people between April 2022 and March 2023.

The organisation provides food for those living in poverty; currently, more than 14 million people in the UK are living in poverty, with one in seven people going hungry.

Not only does The Trussell Trust support people by providing them with food, but it also recognises that the struggles of poverty go beyond hunger. With the aim of combatting this, it brings together the experiences of its food banks and communities to challenge the issues that put people in poverty and keep them there.

UWWNC told The Boar that they found these statistics “shocking”. In reaction to the fact that 4.2 million children are currently living in poverty, the club decided to come together to “exercise 4.2 million metres over the course of eight weeks”. This challenge is an act of “solidarity with child poverty”.

The club’s current goal is to raise £150 which will go to The Warwick Trussell Trust, the branch of the charity that oversees seven local food banks in the Warwickshire district.

In the first 28 days of the challenge, the club’s members have managed to complete almost 2.5 million metres

In the first 28 days of the challenge, the club’s members have managed to complete almost 2.5 million metres, meaning that they “are on track to smash” this challenge.

The society’s Charity Officers, Claudia and Liv, told The Boar that the “netballers have loved getting involved with this fundraiser, especially to release exam stress by getting outside and being active”.

Exercising, particularly outdoors, has been shown to positively impact mental health. A survey by Mental Health UK found that 56% of UK adults believe that exercising regularly helps them to manage stress.

During Mental Health Awareness Week UWNNC supported the mental health of its members, and worked on their challenge, by arranging a week of physical activities “to get the girls outside”. In doing this, they raised awareness for mental health, saw the benefits that exercise can have on one’s mental wellbeing, and got their “metre toll down”.

Any support to the club’s “big charity event of the year” would be “incredibly appreciated”. Donations can be made here and regular metre-toll and fundraising updates are posted on their Instagram.