Business owner drumming up cash for children’s cause

A Southwater business owner celebrating one year on from launching a food truck is running the Brighton Marathon for a children’s charity.
JPCT 040313 Ben and Penny Hollandsr, owners of the Hunger Stop and The Car Genie. Photo by Derek MartinJPCT 040313 Ben and Penny Hollandsr, owners of the Hunger Stop and The Car Genie. Photo by Derek Martin
JPCT 040313 Ben and Penny Hollandsr, owners of the Hunger Stop and The Car Genie. Photo by Derek Martin

Ben Hollands, who lives in Woodfield, off Church Lane, and is the owner of the Hunger Stop with his wife Penny, will be competing in the Brighton Marathon on Sunday April 14 for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).

He said the family business, which launched this time last year, and supplies sausage rolls, breakfast muffins and hot snacks to Horsham and the surrounding area, has gone from strength to strength, and hoped as many customers as possible could help him get to his target of £2,000 from donations.

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Ben said: “I’ve got three children of my own so when I see what goes on it breaks my heart.”

While he has no personal knowledge of being from an abused background he said that more needed to be done to help children in the UK and they could often be forgotten.

He explained that one in four young adults suffered maltreatment growing up and said the figure was far too high.

Having stopped smoking and started running he found he was not too bad at it, and was hoping to record a time under 3hrs 30mins.

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He hoped as many of his customers would get involved as they are planning to donate a percentage of the business’ profits in the month leading up to the marathon.

Ben explained: “The customers can see that everything they spend a bit of it will go to charity.”

A year on from setting up the company he said: “It’s a thriving business, we are probably the best one in the area, and we have a great customer base.”

He also runs the Car Genie, a website that allows motorists to value and sell their cars.

To donate or to chart Ben’s fundraising progress visit www.justgiving.com/ben-hollands1