Fife pensioner walking 5k for foodbank and carers

But in St Andrews, local man James Yule was way ahead of the game, having begun his own garden walk before Tom Moore’s efforts got under way.

At the beginning of the lockdown, James Yule, aged 81, and who was in one of the Covid-19 risk groups, posted on Facebook a video of his route walking through his garden every day to get his exercise time in.

A number of his friends saw this and contacted James to suggest sponsoring him and pledging the cash raised to a charity of his choice.

“This inspired me to find a way to receive and channel the generosity of those, and perhaps other people, who feel inclined to give something to help others at this difficult time,” he said.

“So my challenge became the ‘Lockdown C25K’ (couch to five kilometres) round my garden. I devised an eight-week plan to go from being a non-runner to run for 5k or 30 minutes in eight weeks. My target was to raise £1000.”

As well as his physical effort to assist these vital causes James will also augment whatever sum anyone donates by adding a further 10 per cent of his own funds.

He has decided to pass funds raised to St Andrews Foodbank and carers in Fife.

James has just completed week six by jogging for 22 minutes non-stop and has so far amassed the grand total of £770.

He regularly takes part in the weekly local parkrun in Craigtoun Park, but confessed: “I don’t run, just walk, because I told myself I am too old and haven’t run for years.”

However, as centenarian Tom Moore has shown, you are never too old.

James does not expect to equal the huge total gathered by Colonel Tom but is firmly of the belief that anything which can be done by to support the local foodbanks and local carers would be greatly appreciated. Any readers interested in contributing to James’s effort can visit – www.gofundme.com/f/food-for-fife.