PRESS RELEASE

Young people pedal 250 miles to hit festival with child poverty campaign

Young people from Bradford Council's Youth Service have launched a year-long fundraising campaign to combat child poverty - starting with a 250-mile cycle to Edinburgh where they will perform two hard-hitting plays.

A group of young people set off today (28 July) from Grattan Stadium, home of the Bradford Bulls Rugby League Club, to cycle 250 miles to Edinburgh to raise funds for Save the Children and their ongoing work to combat child poverty.

Their five day trek will take them to Princes Park, Edinburgh, where they will be met by a further 20 young people and staff from Bradford Council's Services for Children and Young People. This group will then perform two powerful plays - 'Out of the Shoebox' which puts child poverty, gang culture and knife crime under the microscope and 'The Ripple Effect,' a dramatic portrayal of life on Bradford's Buttershaw estate, 25-years on from the brash comedy 'Rita, Sue and Bob Too' written by the late Andrea Dunbar. This new play has been written by Richard Dunbar, Andrea's nephew.

Snippets of both plays will be performed as the cyclists arrive in the park.

The campaign has had the full backing of Save the Children. Development officer Imogen Gregg said: "It is fantastic to see so many young people from Bradford doing something positive, whether it is through drama, cycling or fundraising. These young people are raising money and awareness to combat the scandal that is child poverty in the UK."

Richard Dunbar, a Bradford Council Youth Service Worker, who co-wrote both plays, said: "Taking these plays to Edinburgh is a wonderful opportunity for these young people to showcase the issues that affect them. We're planning to make a great impact in Edinburgh and put Bradford well and truly on the map."

Amanda Garoes-Hill, who acts in both plays, said: "We want to highlight some of the problems faced by those living in poverty. We are dealing with a lot of controversial issues such as knife crime and gang violence but we need to face the reality of the issues facing us as young people in order to move forward."

'Out of the Shoebox' will be performed at The Vault on Merchant Street, Edinburgh from 4-10 August at 3.15pm each day. Tickets are £5 standard and £4 with concessions.

'The Ripple Effect' will be performed at The Vault on the same days as above at 4.35pm each day with ticket prices as above.

Tickets can be bought on the door on the night or in advance via the Fringe website - www.edfringe.com.   All proceeds from ticket sales will go to Save the Children for their work to combat child poverty.

For more information, please contact Carys Bose on (01274) 435096.