A priest from East Leeds will be zipping across the UK's steepest zipwire next week to raise funds for needy families in his parish - one of the most deprived areas in the country.
Father Darren Percival, from Saint Hilda's Cross Green & Saint Saviour’s Richmond Hill, is tackling the Zip World Cavern’s challenge near Snowdonia on 11 October. It's described as "an epic journey through underground caverns via zip lines, rope bridges and tunnels".
Fr Darren is putting his nerve to the test with the aim of raising £500 to provide food and other necessities for people in the LS9 area during the run-up to Christmas with the help of the community lunch group that meets weekly at Saint Hilda's.
He says: "When the nights start drawing in our thoughts turn to Christmas and for some it’s a real challenge. There are children who don’t receive a gift and families who can’t afford to provide a Christmas dinner. Some of them are living amongst us but too desperate to speak out. So I have decided to take this opportunity to try and help.
"Raising cash to help support this important community project is vital, especially as we head into the winter months. So if you can, please give generously and help those in our community who are in need this winter".
If you'd like to support Fr Darren's fundraising, visit the justgiving website here.
Fr Darren adds, “Richmond Hill and Cross Green sit in the top 2% of deprivation in the UK. Some can’t even afford bare essentials such as bedding, plates and cutlery. But at the Community lunch group at Saint Hilda's each week, I’ve seen how the charity Community Unity provide food, clothing and bedding for those on the bread line. They also fund a kids’ cooking club and a youth club. It’s an all-round community project in an area that most people have forgotten about".