Foodbank efforts pick up pace in Ireland

A Tauranga lawyer's efforts on the streets of Dublin next week will help put food on the tables of needy Tauranga families. Senior solicitor Tim Neill, of Tauranga law firm Holland Beckett, will pack his running shoes on Friday and fly to his ancestral homeland of Ireland where he plans to join 15,000 other runners in the Dublin Marathon.

A veteran of five other marathons, he hopes to finish the race in less than 3 hours and 40 minutes before spending a couple of weeks exploring the land of his grandfather. Keen to see his hard work put to good use, Mr Neill's employers offered to sponsor him and donate the proceeds to a local charity organisation.

Mr Neill chose the Tauranga Foodbank as his charity of choice and, with the additional help of some of his clients, will be able to present a cheque of $2000 to the organisation when he returns. "It's pretty fundamental, for kids or families to achieve anything, academic, cultural or sporting, you need that food," Mr Neill said.

Holland Beckett had a long association with the foodbank and was keen to continue supporting the cause whilst adding extra significance to the marathon effort in Dublin, he said.