Kind folk raise cash for Darrin
GENEROUS folk have stepped into help a well-known man, who took it upon himself to tidy up the pathways he trekked while carrying his billboard to advertise his guitar and photography classes.
The community spirit Darrin Parnell generated with his unselfish deeds was repaid after news got out that his promotional banner had been vandalised
Shepshed’s Anthony Honey launched the Go Fund Me page to help pay for a replacement board after he saw a Facebook post about the vandalism.
He told the Echo: “It started out as a negative Facebook post and we thought it would be nice to help him out, as he does so much good around the town.”
Anthony and his wife Stephanie aimed to get donations of £200, but that blossomed into a brilliant £1,164, by the time the fund- ing page closed.
One extremely generous person, who wanted to remain anonymous donated £500.
Darrin, who lives in Fairway Road South in Shepshed is also well known in Loughborough, as he has often stood with his advertising board on Epinal Way and in the town market.
He told the Echo he was overwhelmed with the generosity of those who have donated and spoke of how he started his pathway clean up operation along the A512, from the motorway island as far as Leicester Road, Shepshed.
“I started from a small area where I stand with the guitar promotional banner and, without thinking or planning, over the weeks I’ve cleared the pathway borders up to the motorway and bits on the Loughborough side.
“It’s rewarding to do the work and when walking away turning round and seeing the difference.
“I’ve had very good comments from cyclists, joggers, walkers and man on mobil- ity scooter said that it’s made the trip a lot safer for him.
“The couple in the coffee hut on the other side of the A512 gave me a coffee as they had been watching me over the weeks.
“There is another reason for doing it, to keep warm while out with the sign and it does give me inspiration to get out there early in the mornings.”
Darrin teaches guitar beginners and also has an online photography group.
Jessica Garrity, also contacted the Echo to sing Darrin’s praises: “At 8am and 3pm he’s on bike path that runs from Shepshed to the M1 motorway roundabout shovelling the dirt and overgrown paths that were once a double bike lane.
“Every day without fail he’s there and since I’ve noticed an increase in people using the pathways.
“It’s great to see someone using their time wisely and doing something to better our community and I wanted to share this with you as he deserves recognition for his work and a big thank you from all of us in the community.”