What a marathon effort!
The Rev Arthur Young, rector of Tullylish parish, together with 17 of his parishioners took part in the Belfast Marathon and raised over £1,500 in the process. These same super-fit individuals are also taking part in the Lisburn Half Marathon in June! They plan to raise enough money to cover the cost of materials which will be used by a team of Tullylish volunteers going out to work in Croatia in July. The volunteers will spend a week working with a small Baptist congregation in Koprivnica.
Wages in Koprivnica are low, but the cost of food is similar to here. Arthur, in a previous visit to the area in 2005, saw instances of people clambering around in skips looking for food and clothing. On his return he shared his experiences with his parishioners and together they started to make plans to take a team out there this summer. The team will be undertaking decorating and maintenance jobs and also doing some outreach work as well as offering support and encouragement to the local church.
Photograph, courtesy of the Banbridge Chronicle, pictures Arthur (front row, fourth from left) and his Tullylish Belfast Marathon team.