The Mayors Civic Rooms in Wolverhampton hosted presentations from the Best Foot Forward Charity event, organised by Wolverhampton Rotary. Central Youth Theatre and Wolverhampton's MS Centre were the main recipients of the charity money.
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00:00for the annual best foot forward presentation. Patrons, charities, best footers and members of
00:06the Routery Club of the City of Wolverhampton. We are one of the oldest in the country.
00:14We currently have over 40 members who are part of a worldwide membership of 1.4 million people
00:21and we undertake community projects and also raise and distribute about £50,000 every year.
00:28It was to the City Council and the Express and Star that we went to in 2011 to explain the concept
00:34of this new community initiative. We desperately needed their clout as big hitters to persuade
00:40others to come on board as patrons to actually fund the event. Both the Council and the Express
00:45and Star listened and to our relief said yes. It all went well as we set our sights on clocking up
00:52the 11,700 laps needed to empty the charity pot. It is always a big ask and there is always that
00:59slight concern that the number of laps completed might not be sufficient to empty the pot.
01:05We need not have worried. Our best footers did not let us down. In fact they did us proud.
01:11Over the course of 12 hours we had 590 people building up that count easily a record number.
01:19The final lap count was 15,352 completely blasting the old record off the track.
01:25This year's event charities are the Central Youth Theatre and the Wolverhampton MS
01:30Therapy Centre. Both will receive a cheque for £4,100 from the Mayor. First please can I ask
01:38Holly Parry to come forward on behalf of the Central Youth Theatre to be presented with the cheque.
01:48Thank you Cllr Wynne.
01:55This brings the total receipt by event charities since 2013 to the £79,267
02:03with the Clubs Own Charitable Trust collecting £42,081. Charities using Best Foot Forward to
02:11boost their own funds have raised a further £82,000 with £9,000 being raised this year alone.
02:182024 was the 10th staging of the event and produced £21,621.
02:25This lifts the total rate since 2013 to £2,332.
02:35This has largely been shared by organisations in and around our city.
02:40So introduce yourselves folks, who have we got?
02:44President of Wolverhampton.
02:46Thank you, Richard.
02:48Richard Horrell, Chairman of the Best Foot Forward Committee.
02:51And Linda Leitch, I'm the Mayor of Wolverhampton City.
02:55It's been a lovely event here today hasn't it?
02:57It's gone very well.
02:59It has hasn't it, yeah.
03:00Madam Mayor, you're hosting it, it's like an annual event isn't it, at the Mayor's Parlour here?
03:04It is and it's fantastic to have all these Rotarians and Best Footers Forward here.
03:11It's just a great event, I just can't believe how much money has been raised for fantastic causes.
03:17And I think the volunteers are absolutely amazing and Rotary itself is amazing.
03:22And Richard, you've been pleased with the numbers haven't you?
03:24Yes, very pleased indeed and that amount of laps around the track, it's just extraordinary.
03:3130 people doing almost a marathon.
03:34I spoke to Earl Edwards and I said 161 and he said, oh well, I'll do 200 next year.
03:39It's like, 161?
03:41We have had people do 200 now.
03:44I think he might have done a 200 at some point himself actually.
03:47And President of the Rotary, you must be pleased with how it's gone, it's been a great event.
03:52Nice community event isn't it?
03:54Yes, a community event, yes.
03:56Different people taking part, really enjoyable.
03:58It's nice to see that diverse range of ages isn't it, getting involved.
04:02Yes, grandparents, babies, people in wheelchairs.
04:07Yes, that's very true.
04:09Great stuff, well done to everyone involved, thank you folks.
04:14Earl Edwards, how are you sir?
04:15I'm great, thank you.
04:16So you clocked up the biggest distance didn't you, on the best foot?
04:19Yes, 161 laps.
04:21How's that compared to previous years?
04:23Previously it's gone down a couple, but I'll be back next year with 200.
04:28200!
04:30Crazy.
04:31Well what's 161 equate to, distance wise?
04:33It's about a marathon and a half.
04:35Wow.
04:36So how long did that take you on the day then?
04:388 o'clock in the morning until 8pm at night.
04:41And what do you do, do you set yourself breaks, set meals for energy as it were?
04:46No breaks, just carry on round, drinking water, sipping water in the evening,
04:52and drinking a lot of power drinks towards the end about 7 o'clock.
04:57And you've got all this done in an Ironman costume as well?
04:59Well it's Deadpool.
05:00Deadpool, of course it is, Deadpool, I'm testing you.
05:04And what is it about Best Foot Forward as an event that you particularly like?
05:08You get to meet people, you do a lot of charity work, helping other people,
05:14and it motivates me every year to help others.
05:19And after doing a distance like that on the track, how are you feeling the next day?
05:23Are you kind of sore, are your muscles tight?
05:25No, it's mostly the couple of days after.
05:30You feel drained and everything, but you think of the next thing to do.
05:35So you'll be there next year?
05:36We'll be there next year, yeah.
05:37Great stuff, well done Earl.
05:39200 laps.
05:40We'll hold you to that, we'll test you next year.
05:42Cheers Earl, all the best mate.
05:43Nice one, cheers, thank you.
05:45So ladies, you represent Central Youth Theatre, Holy Parry, and Paul Anderson MS Therapy Centre.
05:52Both great charities.
05:54What does this money mean to you?
05:56It's a good amount, isn't it?
05:58It's an incredible amount, and as a small charity working in Wolverhampton,
06:03it's incredibly vital for us to continue raising money,
06:06so this will go a really long way to helping our cause.
06:09And the same for the therapy centre?
06:11Yeah, we're purely self-funded.
06:13We treat people locally with multiple sclerosis, neurological conditions,
06:18non-Covid, with oxygen therapy.
06:21So as busy as ever down there.
06:23It's all about technology, isn't it?
06:24Technology, yeah, that's right.
06:26So this will help probably another 20 people, I would imagine.
06:29Great stuff, well done Earl.
06:30All the best to you ladies, thank you.