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.
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