Walk honours volunteer at Wymondham Foodbank 

A fundraising walk for Wymondham Foodbank on Saturday raised £1,695 in memory of Siobhan O’Keeffe, who passed away with Covid during lockdown.

Siobhan O’Keeffe was a parishioner of St Thomas of Canterbury in Wymondham and a volunteer at the Help Point foodbank, which is based at the church. She died unexpectedly last November after a positive Covid test.

“We are overwhelmed at everyone’s kindness,” said Susan Latham, who as a former colleague of Sioban at Crown Commercial Service helped to organise the walk. “Siobhan would be so pleased with this.”

“It was good for the soul,” commented another colleague who was on the walk.

“As a volunteer with our Outreach Project at our foodbank, Siobhan served everyone who requested help with great kindness,” said Arnie McConnell, Coordinator of the Wymondham Outreach Project. “She passionately believed in our obligation to serve the poor and marginalised.” 

Her former colleagues at Crown Commercial Service organised the fundraising walk in her memory. Teams in several places across the country, including Norwich, London, Liverpool and Scotland took part and all funds raised are being forwarded to Wymondham Foodbank.

Customers at the Crown Commercial Service commented that Siobhan was “rock solid, full of integrity and had your back”. She would have celebrated a significant birthday on 6 May, which made colleagues think about the idea of a walk to honour her. Dogs were especially welcome on the walk, as this was the year Siobhan had planned to get a puppy.

“She was a team player. She is held in the highest esteem by all who worked with her.” To make a donation, please go to www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/walk

 

Pictured above are the Norwich group setting off from the Crown Commercial office and (centre) Susan Lathan, her daughter and the puppy Siobhan ‘coached’ them on. Below is Siobhan O’Keeffe last autumn just before one of her shifts at the foodbank.

 

Eldred Willey, 10/08/2021