A man from North Belfast is set to take on an extreme hiking challenge this weekend to raise funds for a local food bank.
Oisín McVicker has been taking on a challenge every year for the past three years in support of the North Belfast Community Foodbank, to help with their annual Christmas appeal.
The first challenge saw Oisín run four miles every four hours for 48 hours, while last year he cycled to the Mourne Mountains before hiking all seven peaks and cycling back home.
Read more: Belfast nursery school serving the community for almost 70 years
This year, Oisín is pushing himself further by hiking 25 laps of Cavehill this December, which is the equivalent of the height of Mount Everest. The challenge, which has been aptly named 'This Is My Everest', will kick off on Friday, December 2.
Oisín has invited members of the public to join him on laps of the hill, with some schools, youth groups, and businesses already promising to get involved. A number of local businesses have pledged their support, too, by sponsoring laps of the hike.
Speaking to Belfast Live ahead of the challenge, Oisín said: "After last year's challenge, we put up a post asking what we should do next year. One of my friends said we should hike the height of Everest up the Cavehill.
"We had lots of different suggestions, but I really liked this one because it kept it local. It gives a lot more opportunity for people to get involved considering you're starting and finishing on the Cavehill.
"People can come and join in for a lap, and see how they get on. The whole thing will be 25 laps.
"There's a lot of people who have come forward interested in either doing a lap or sponsoring laps, which is really good. It'll keep me going through the weekend to have different people to talk to, and having a bit of craic on the way around.
"I would be up the Cavehill every other day with my dog doing the same loop. I did a tester of six laps two weeks ago, just to get my timings right and make sure I was able to fit in a few breaks. I'm really looking forward to it now."
Oisín, who is a personal trainer, said he's expecting the challenge to take 36 to 40 hours, with around four breaks of two hours each scattered throughout the weekend. Instead of heading home for his breaks, a friend has donated a campervan which will be parked near the hill.
By helping the North Belfast Community Food Bank each year, Oisín said it's a good way to give back to the local community. Donations will be needed even more this year as the cost of living crisis continues to impact society.
"There's a massive need for a fundraiser like this every year. I choose the food bank because I know every penny goes back into the local community, and the people in the community need the support over the Christmas period," Oisín added.
"Before this year I was a teacher, and saw first hand the troubles families were having, through different community organisations and through the school at this time of year. It's what I can do to support those families and give something back.
"It's hard because you see stories about people who are in professions like nursing and teaching, who are relying on food banks. These are people in our community working full-time, maybe as a single or two parent family, and they're still struggling to put food on the table due to the cost of living crisis and the price of electric and gas. It shouldn't be that way.
"The work Nichola and Tomas do here throughout the year is far more than I'm going to do walking up and down the Cavehill for two days, but it's something I can do to give back, and I'm more than happy to do it."
Cllr Nichola Bradley said referrals to the Community Food Bank are steadily increasing, with the group ramping up to get ready for the festive period, where they will be organising food hampers, toy collections, and Christmas dinners.
She said: "I would say at least 50% of our referrals coming through at the minute are from the working poor, those people in full-time work who are still struggling to put food on the table.
"Referrals and demand are definitely increasing, but the problem is there isn't the cash around there would be in previous years. Oisín doing this is massive for us.
"We have about 17 schools that are feeding referrals through to us across North Belfast, so things like this are a big help."
Oisín said the annual fundraiser is a way for him to make sure others in his local community are able to enjoy Christmas.
He added: "Growing up, I never had to think about my Christmas dinner, it was always going to be there on the table in my house, it's my favourite dinner of the year.
"Giving that to another family, doing a fundraiser like this to make sure there's an occasion for them, to make sure there's food on the table, it means a lot more to me than getting some sort of presents at Christmas. It's giving something back to the community."
You can donate to Oisín's fundraiser by clicking here.
READ NEXT:
- North Belfast old boys club gets licence despite accusations of noise and abuse
- Belfast food bank launches Christmas appeal as demand for services grows
- New GP appointed for Belfast medical centre
- Belfast train station refurbishment to begin in the coming weeks
For all the latest news, visit the Belfast Live homepage here. To sign up to our FREE newsletters, see here.
