A spring in your step: running for a good cause

This spring and summer, a number of our brilliant volunteers, staff and supporters have been swapping their sandals for trainers and shirts for running bibs, all in the name of a good cause: supporting children and young people to unlock their academic potential. 

Across four running events our fantastic supporters have raised over £3,400 to support Action Tutoring and our pupils. 

Running to support a cause you care about

The Hackney Half and ASICS London 10K saw a group of six runners per event taking part through our pre-booked charity spaces. Runners ran through the sights of the beautiful capital, with there being plenty of sun reaching them on both days and crowds of smiling supporters cheering them on. One of our runners said:

“It’s a pleasure to support a wonderful charity like Action Tutoring through a sponsored run. The work you do is really important and very much needed to support the children and young people in our society. I’m happy to be a part of it and help out where and when I can.”

But you don’t have to use one of our charity spaces to fundraise for us! Three of our Programme Coordinators in the Midlands entered themselves into the Great Birmingham Run, with two running a half marathon and the other opting for the 10K, raising over £700 between them.

Another of our wonderful volunteer tutors, who has been tutoring maths online at one of our partner secondary schools in London, had already purchased her space in the Edinburgh Marathon before deciding to dedicate her training and event run to support Action Tutoring, raising over £480.

Hannah O’Neill, Action Tutoring’s Partnerships and Fundraising Manager, says:

“As a charity every pound makes a difference to our work to close the attainment gap, and we truly could not do what we do without the kindness and generosity of others. It’s brilliant to have our volunteers and staff team come together and get involved in sport for a good cause. We’re so grateful for all that our supporters do for us. We’re really lucky to have them!”

Running isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but after the pandemic and a series of lockdowns, many have used running as a way of boosting their activity, meeting new people and working towards a goal. When you add the dimension of supporting a charity or cause close to your heart, it really increases that ‘feel-good’ feeling. It’s not just the event that matters, in fact, that’s just part of the journey.

Using your training ahead of the event to boost your wellbeing and exercise can be a brilliant way to increase your confidence and ‘personal best’ training records, giving you a reason to use your gym membership, or to get out into nature.

After the events we’ve had lots of volunteers comment that they’ve continued their running, with some even joining a local running group! Whatever your motivation for running for charity, you are making a difference, not just for yourself but for the beneficiaries at the heart of the cause. Now that’s a worthy reason to dust off your trainers!

We know more of our volunteers want to get involved in our sport-based fundraising events, but can’t always travel to London. Next year we’re looking to offer pre-booked charity spaces for additional running events, including in the north of England and the Midlands.

We’ll be in touch with more details closer to the time. In the meantime, if you’d like to fundraise for us, check out our fundraising page or contact our Fundraising Coordinator, Naomi, via naomi@actiontutoring.org.uk. 

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