How do you to raise funds in a pandemic?

During your year in office as High Sheriff, it is expected you will do a certain amount of entertaining and to raise monies for the High Sheriff’s Fund which is held at the Herefordshire Community Foundation. The HS then distributes funds to charities and organisations they have worked with at the end of their year. Due to COVID-19, all the usual avenues are not available, so time for a re-think.

I came up with the Foodie Tour idea having taken part in similar events in France, with Richie and a group of friends. These tours are great fun if you like cars and food, as we do! And particularly this year, I wanted to do something to support food and hospitality venues in Herefordshire which have been so badly affected by the pandemic.

I’ve been liaising with venues that could cope with a car tour and comply with social distancing, and once agreed, our expert route master, Bill Pardoe, devised a route of 100+ miles in 4 sections, which encompassed interesting, unseen and sometimes unknown parts of our beautiful county, visiting 5 venues.

Participants had to be 2 people from the same household or support bubble
Cars were grouped into 3’s so that 6 people formed a group for the day
Route books and car plaques posted out the week before to minimise handling
Contactless raffle of vouchers devised.

Thank you to the Foodie Tour sponsors:
Lawrence Bleasdale of mintexbrakesuk
Jo Hilditch of British Cassis
Julian Vaughan of The Green Dragon Hotel

And of course, many thanks to all the participants for bringing a wonderful mix of cars of all ages from the vintage and classic to modern day electric.