Frankie’s Fundraiser for Foyle Foodbank
Frankie’s mum, Sinéad, has set up a gofundme page: ‘Frankie’s Fundraiser for Foyle Foodbank’
Young Frankie Harley is a Derry girl on a mission.
The almost seven-year-old Long Tower Primary School pupil is undertaking a five-mile sponsored walk on Saturday (July 18, 2026) in aid of Foyle Network Foundation - formerly Foyle Foodbank.
And, during the whole event, Frankie will be dressed as her favourite animal - a giraffe. In fact, later on this summer, Frankie and Sinéad are going to do the Giraffe Keeper experience in Belfast.
Starting at 3pm, the route of Frankie’s walk is, leaving Long Tower Primary School, over Craigavon Bridge, down past the Waterside Train Station, loop around St Columb’s Park coming out at Ebrington Bakery, over the Peace Bridge, over the wee Pennyburn Bridge, and back up the Quay to finish in Guildhall Square.
As well as sponsor sheets, which are filling up rapidly, Frankie’s mum, Sinéad Harley has set up a gofundme page: ‘Frankie’s Fundraiser for Foyle Foodbank’ in support of the walk. Donations can be made HERE.
Speaking to the Derry News, Sinéad said the page would remain open for donations until Frankie’s 7th birthday on August 3.
“Every donation is appreciated so much,” she added. “Frankie’s target is £500 and I can’t believe she has raised more than £100 already.”
Although Sinéad will be following in her daughter’s footsteps on Saturday, Frankie is very much following in her mum’s fundraising footsteps.
“Frankie has seen me doing loads of fundraisers for different things. A couple of weeks ago we did one for her cousin for her Foyle Cup team,” smiled Sinéad.
“We’re always at something. Last year we did one for Aspace for a new multisensory centre, so Frankie is used to us doing fundraisers,” she added.
“Lately, she has become obsessed with Blue Peter. She has been watching all the episodes on the BBC iPlayer, and one day last week she came downstairs to me and asked me if I knew who Pudsey Bear was.
During the whole event, Frankie will be dressed as her favourite animal - a giraffe.
“I laughed and said ‘yes’. I asked her how she knew about Pudsey Bear and she started telling me about the Blue Peter episode about Children In Need and Pudsey Bear.
“Then she said, ‘I think we should do something for the children in our community, Pudsey Bear has inspired me’. This is exactly what she said. I was hanging myself laughing.
“I said ‘that’s a really good idea, really kind, what are you thinking of?’ She wanted to do a bakesale, this week, but because we’d done one recently for her cousin Molly, I suggested a sponsored walk because we’ve done hikes before. We did one in the Mourne Mountains, up Slieve Donard, last year,” said Sinéad.
She added: “When Frankie and I do the big shop in Tesco, she loves getting extra bits and potting them into the Foodbank trolley, so she said she wanted to do the walk for Foyle Foodbank. I told her that was a lovely idea.
“Now the whole thing just took off in one day, so now we’re organising a fundraising sponsored walk for Foyle Foodbank. That’s Frankie. She is so excited and she is going to wear her giraffe onesie.
“She has already raised more than £800 in in-person donations. She has been asking everybody she sees for donations. Fingers crossed the weather stays good for Saturday.”