Tag: charity fundraising

Utilita Energy Hub Leith team takes Future Steps to support Prince’s Trust

Staff normally based at Utilita’s Energy Hub in Leith have signed up to take part in the ‘Future Steps’ campaign – a 10,000 steps-a-day challenge during the month of February to raise vital funds for The Prince’s Trust as the charity works to support young people during these difficult times. 

After former prime minister, Gordon Brown, warned that youth unemployment in Scotland could hit 100,000 this winter as a result of the pandemic, Utilita Energy is powering The Prince’s Trust Future Steps campaign, to enable the charity to give young people hope for the future by helping them to develop the skills and confidence needed to move into work, education or training.

Staff from the Energy Hub in Leith – who have been aptly named the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ – will each clock up 10,000 steps for 28 consecutive days throughout February, resulting in 60,000 steps a day and a massive 1.68m steps in in total by the end of February.

To donate valuable funds to help improve young people’s wellbeing and help them to get into work, please visit the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ JustGiving page here.

Debra Clason, Team Leader of the ‘Northern Powerhouse’ Future Steps team at the Utilita Energy Hub in Leith (above), said: “With so many young people’s lives disrupted and impacted by the pandemic, their education or career plans may have been put on hold, so it’s important that the support they need to confidently get back on track is there when they need it most.

“We’ll be telling the customers we speak to about the campaign, as well as educating each customer about the Energy High 5 campaign – helping every household to reduce their energy spend by £163 per year.”

Laura Heaton, Head of Corporate Partnerships at The Prince’s Trust, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to Utilita for making Future Steps possible by sponsoring the campaign, and to their teams all over the UK who have signed up to get moving in support of our cause.

“The funds raised will help us to keep up with demand from young people in these anxious times, so that they can get the advice and opportunities they need to get back on track and regain control of their futures – whatever challenges they may be facing.”

Staff from across Utilita Energy are taking part in the challenge this year – from senior management to customer service and energy engineers – with the aim to beat 5m steps they achieved in 2020.

Join them today and raise valuable donations to help young people by visiting: 

www.princes-trust.org.uk/futuresteps

SAC Consulting set to support Covid-hit charity in virtual Tour D’Office challenge

Throughout October, staff from SAC Consulting, part of Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), will walk, cycle, and run nearly 2000 miles as part of a virtual Tour D’Office challenge to raise money for RSABI.

David Ross, Regional Development Manager with SAC Consulting who initiated the event, said the aim of the Tour D’Office is to boost morale amongst the 130-strong consulting staff, build camaraderie and, most importantly, raise money for RSABI.

“For the past couple of years, we’ve entered teams into RSABI’s Great Glen Challenge, and it’s always been a highlight for staff”, David explained.

“This year, due to the current circumstances and cancellation of the Great Glen event, we decided to try and do something different. The concept of virtually racing around all 24 SAC Consulting offices has come up before and we decided this year is the perfect opportunity to make it happen.

“Previous fundraising challenges have been a fantastic opportunity for staff across the organisation to get to know each other. This year, teams are based on regional locations with specialists and office staff coming together to raise money for a great cause that is crucial to our industry, particularly in times of crisis.”

Head of SAC Consulting, Andrew Lacey, said: “In the current situation, charities have had to cancel their premier fundraising events which will have a major impact on their future ability to support vulnerable communities.

“RSABI provides a vital service to rural people throughout Scotland and we felt it was important to be able to continue our fundraising efforts for them despite the restrictions.

“The Tour D’Office challenge is bringing together staff, no matter where they live, with a goal to support this important charity, and ultimately each other, during this challenging time.”

Chief Executive of RSABI, Nina Clancy, said: “So many charities have been adversely impacted by lockdown and the subsequent restrictions. It’s fantastic to see SAC Consulting think outside the box regarding fundraising and I am grateful the team have decided to donate the funds to RSABI – it will really make a difference to people in the agricultural sector who are struggling.”

The full route around each of the SAC Consulting offices is 1,953.6 miles and teams are challenged to walk, cycle, or run the equivalent during October. The virtual circuit will visit all the SAC Consulting offices across Scotland and the North of England kicking off in Edinburgh before moving up the east coast, through the north east and Highlands and Islands offices, before coming down the west coast to Kendal and then back up the east coast to finish in Edinburgh.

“No doubt there will be a healthy dose of competition between the teams and some great banter too. It’s a way to inject a bit of fun into life when things aren’t very easy for lots of people”, said David.

“We will be awarding prizes for the region with the most money raised, region that has completed the most miles, individual that has completed the most miles in each category, most impressive fancy dress and the most likes on a social media post.”

Predicting what region will be first across the finish line, David Ross who heads up the North East Regional Team, said: “Even though the south east and south west have some fairly strong runners and cyclists in their team, my money is on north east taking the title of inaugural winner of the Tour D’Office!”

Those wishing to support the fundraising efforts of a specific region, or follow their progress, can do so by clicking here.

Local hero Fiona leads the way

Edinburgh woman Fiona Fitzgerald has managed to keep a community spirit alive in her neighbourhood and helped them to stay fit at the same time.

Every Thursday Fiona would rally all her neighbours and friends and family to clap for the NHS and when that ended she  still managed to get them all out on a Thursday at 8pm by engaging them in the slosh (for younger readers, it’s a line dancing routine!) All ages and abilities were out and had a great time.

Fiona then decided she wanted to continue her support of a local charity Held In Our Hearts by getting the neighbours together in a walk round Arthur Seat. The virtual Edinburgh Marathon festival this year is being run until December and everyone taking part can register.

Fiona in the last few years has volunteered on a water station at the Edinburgh Marathon Weekend and has tirelessly cheered on our charity runners.  

Fiona arranged 50 of her friends and family to take a social distanced trip round Arthur Seat and kept everyone motivated and fully engaged whether is was one lap or two. In fact Brodie one of the younger runners did three laps.

Eileen Mitchell, the oldest lady ever to take part in an events for Held In Our Hearts, says: “It was so much fun top see the community come together and we are really grateful to Fiona for all her hard work.”

The group have raised £2,500 and we are truly grateful to every person that got involved.

You can still sponsor them and support Held In Our Hearts:

https://www.justgiving.com/search?q=fiona%20fitzgerald

If you want to fundraise and get involved in an event, email:

tracy@hheldinourhearts.org.uk

Walk to victory plan for pensioners deprived of exercise

Alzheimer’s Month sees get-fit challenge issued at Cramond Residence

Lisa Sohn is one of the lifestyle coordinators at Edinburgh’s most exclusive care homes, Cramond Residence.

PENSIONERS deprived of proper exercise during the lockdown are now being coaxed back into action at Edinburgh’s most exclusive care home – by the lure of raising cash to battle dementia.

Canny staff at Cramond Residence in Edinburgh have set a challenge for residents, giving them the month to get in the best possible shape for a major fundraising push.

Care and clinical workers hope the attraction of doing their bit for Alzheimer’s Month will also help the residents shake off the potentially debilitating effects of five months in lockdown.

Lisa Sohn (above), Lifestyle Coordinator at the purpose-built, 74-room care home, pointed out that extensive research has shown how older people are adversely affected by periods of inactivity, suffering accelerated muscle loss.

Lisa said: “It’s a vicious circle. The more inactive an older person it is, the harder it becomes to get them back into a good place. We’ve done everything we can to keep our residents active here, but we’re hoping this new challenge will really make a difference.

“We are lucky to have beautiful gardens at Cramond Residence so we’ve come up with a plan to mark Alzheimer’s Month throughout September, encouraging our residents to walk as often as possible.

“We’re going to build up to a big fundraising day on September 30. That will see our residents doing as many laps of the garden as possible, while asking their family and friends to make a pledge to Alzheimer Scotland.

“Everyone here has a vested interest in this. Not only is it a great way to keep our people in tip-top condition, but we all know residents who have Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia. This lets us all do our bit to fight this terrible condition.”

Reopening of Cramond Residence’s beautiful garden has been the main impetus for the challenge. However, it has also been partly inspired by the story of former British Army Captain Tom Moore.

His garden walks during lockdown and in the run up to his 100th birthday turned him into a national celebrity. He also raised more than £32m for the NHS – and earned a knighthood as a result.

Lisa added: “All of our residents followed the story of Captain Tom during lockdown, so we’re hoping that will also help inspire them.

“Happily, most of them are champing at the bit to get back out walking outside and the garden walks will be one of our major focuses throughout September.”

Cramond Residence is a purpose-built care home created at a cost of £12.5m and opened in October 2018. It combines luxury, five-star accommodation with outstanding clinical standards. Each resident enjoys a luxury room with en-suite bathroom facilities – with places available from £1850 per week.

It can care for up to 74 older people, with specialised self-contained houses for those residents living with an advanced stage of cognitive impairment induced by conditions such as Alzheimer’s.

It maintains a care staff to resident ratio of at least 1:4 at all times and promotes a small-group living philosophy. That means groups of eight rooms form distinct “houses”, where residents are encouraged to eat and socialise together. This is believed to have played a major role in successful infection control during the Coronavirus pandemic to date.

Places in the care home start from £1850 a week. To find out more, call 0131 341 4037 or visit https://cramondresidence.co.uk/

STEPteptember 2020

People across Scotland are being urged to get their sweat on this September in aid of firefighters and their families 

Last year, the SFRS Family Support Trust (FST) launched its maiden StepTember exercise challenge, laying down the gauntlet to participants by asking them to complete either 26, 50 or 100-mile journeys within the 30 days of September.

The event proved to be hugely popular, with more than 180 people clocking up a staggering 14,400 miles – a distance that would (approximately) take the average person 201,628 days to walk.

The tenacious trekkers even dreamt up some unusual ways to complete their miles, with participants opting to walk, run, cycle and even row their miles.

This year, the Family Support Trust is hoping the event can prove to be even more successful.

The FST help support firefighters and their families across Scotland by offering financial assistance and respite accommodation.

SFRS Area Commander Garry Mackay helped organise the event and is a Family Support Trust Board Member. He said: “Last year’s event captured the imagination of people and this year, given the restrictions we have seen on so many events, we hope that more than ever people will get behind StepTember and support the incredible work of the Family Support Trust. 

“We have worked with the event provider to ensure that participants are able to donate as large a proportion of the entry fee as they choose and this goes straight to the Trust. 

“In addition, through the generosity of our partners Breaking Strain Events, we have kept the entry fee and costs to the charity exactly the same as last year.”

Participants can decide how much of their registration fee goes straight to the charity, with options for some of the entry costs to go towards a medal or joining gift.

To register for this year’s event and to help support the Family Support Trust, visit  https://www.breakingstrain.co.uk/steptember/

Free entry to virtual Great North Run

  • Virtual version of Britain’s biggest running event
  • Runners will download an app for a unique audio running experience on their doorstep
  • FREE to enter and open to everyone
  • Entries open on Monday 3rd August at 10am

The Virtual Great North Run will see runners all over the world complete 13.1 miles on 13th September, the day the 40th staging of the iconic half marathon was scheduled to take place.

Working with app provider viRace, organisers have created a unique running experience that uses iconic sounds from the event to take the runner on a Great North Run journey on their doorstep.

The app will highlight popular course features, provide distance updates and play motivational messages through the runners’ headphones as they take on the challenge anywhere in the world.

The Virtual Great North Run is free to enter and open to everyone, regardless of whether they had a place in this year’s event, and participants are encouraged to raise money for charity.

Paul Foster, chief executive of The Great Run Company, said: “Over £25m is raised for good causes every year at the Great North Run and our charity village usually hosts 100 charities at the finish line in South Shields.

“Right now fundraising is more important than ever before. Many runners have seen their fundraising efforts halted in recent months, so we encourage them join the Virtual Great North Run in the hope that we can still raise a significant fundraising total for these worthy causes.”

Organisers expect thousands of people to complete the Virtual Great North Run across the UK and worldwide, but stress that participants must still follow government guidelines in regards to social distancing when they take on their challenge.

Paul Foster continued: “There will be no physical Great North Run in 2020, so we decided that since we can’t do it together, we will bring it to your doorstep instead!

“We really wanted to provide an experience as close as possible to the real thing. We’ve been working hard behind the scenes to provide participants with a virtual audio and running experience featuring Great North Run sounds that runners and spectators know and love … and we’ve thrown in a few surprises too.”

A record 60,000 people were accepted into the Great North Run ballot this year, with many entrants signing up to be a part of the 40th celebrations. The event was subsequently cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic and GNR Reimagined was born.

The campaign provides runners with two virtual running propositions; Great North Run Solo to take them through what would have been the traditional training period, and the Virtual Great North Run to give an on the day virtual race experience.

Launched on 28th June, the anniversary of the first ever Great North Run, Great North Run Solo challenges runners to complete 40 runs up until 13th September, the day the 40th event was scheduled to take place. Over 20,000 people signed up to the solo challenge with all profits donated to the NHS Charities Together Covid-19 Urgent Appeal, raising almost £250,000 for the charity.

Virtual Great North Run entries open this morning (Monday 3rd August) at 10am – enter at greatrun.org/north

Superheroes run marathon from Dunfermline to Edinburgh to fundraise for Sick Kids

A team of costume-clad superheroes and film characters have completed an epic 22 mile run from Dunfermline to Edinburgh to bring smiles to children and families at the Sick Kids hospital.

Starting from Glen Gates in Dunfermline, the band of heroes including Spiderman, Buzz Lightyear, Batgirl and Superman ran just under a marathon in full costume, before being piped through the Meadows and finishing up outside the hospital to visit their fans.

The superheroes initially teamed up during lockdown to bring some cheer to Dunfermline locals during difficult times. They are now taking part in the Lap the World challenge – a fundraising race between Edinburgh and Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charities to virtually cover the distance around Scotland and the world’s Equator (50,087km) before 31 July.

The gang have raised an incredible £5700 so far for Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (ECHC), which supports the Royal Hospital for Sick Children. They are part of an army of over 2000 participants that have signed up to help the charities Lap the World.

Buzz Lightyear, aka Andy Spence, says: “I’ve joined Team Edinburgh in the race to Lap the World as I’ve been a supporter of the Sick Kids since 2005, when they saved my daughter Hope’s life.

“Our family is so grateful to the wonderful hospital teams for everything they have done for us. Myself and my wife have clocked up many kilometres over the years by running marathons and half marathons to raise money for them. Hope has also signed up to the fundraising challenge, as without Team Edinburgh, we wouldn’t be Team Spence.

“Our team of superheroes are absolutely thrilled that we have now raised over £7000 for the charity and we hope to raise even more before the end of the challenge.”

Victoria Buchanan, from ECHC, said: “The Lap the World fundraising challenge has been bigger than we could ever have imagined, and who better to have on our team than some of the fastest superheroes on the planet as we race Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity to the finish line?

“We are so excited to have the superheroes on Team Edinburgh and would like to say a huge thank you to them for running such an incredible distance for the children, families and staff of the Sick Kids.

“Though the heroes are unfortunately unable to visit the wards at the moment, we know the kids would still have been amazed to see some of their favourite heroes and there would have been lots of smiles all round.”

To support the superheroes, visit: https://www.justgiving.com/team/DunfermlineSuperheroes

The Lap the World challenge is running from 6-31 July. To donate to ECHC, visit: www.echcharity.org/donate

British Gymnastics announces NHS fundraising initiative

Olympics London 2012. Gymnastics Mens Team Finals 30.7.12. Greenwich Arena .Daniel Purvis

British Gymnastics, the national governing body for gymnastics in the UK, has  announced a fundraising initiative to support the National Health Service (NHS).

To recognise and support the incredible sacrifices that the NHS and frontline staff continue to make every day, British Gymnastics, in partnership with Scottish Gymnastics, are calling on the sporting community and beyond to #PresentForPounds.

A ‘present’ is the move performed at the beginning and end of a gymnastics routine to show that you’re ready for action or to celebrate nailing your routine.

The campaign challenges people to post a video or photo of themselves ‘presenting’ online as a salute to the NHS, using the #PresentForPounds tag.

This could be something new and creative at home or something from a past competition, training session or class.

Those involved are then encouraged to donate to NHS Charities Together via British Gymnastics designated JustGiving page before nominating five friends to do the same.

Olympics London 2012. Gymnastics Mens Qualifications 28.7.12. Greenwich Arena. Daniel Purvis

Speaking about the fundraising challenge, former Olympian and Scottish gymnast Dan Purvis said: “#PresentForPounds is a great initiative and I hope that it goes much further than just our sport.

“Every gymnast, whatever age, discipline or level, knows how to present – it shows that they’re ready for action. Whether it’s presenting to friends and family, a coach, the judges or a roaring crowd, to present is part of what makes being a gymnast so special.

“It’s been brilliant to see how our gymnastics community has pulled together at this challenging time and I can’t wait to see people in Scotland getting involved and showing off their best salutes to the NHS.”

Jane Allen MBE, British Gymnastics Chief Executive Officer, added: “I am delighted to announce our #PresentForPounds fundraising initiative. The efforts of our NHS have really brought the country and the gymnastics community together during this challenging period.

“All of us at British Gymnastics have been inspired and humbled by their bravery, as well as the huge fundraising efforts of so many up and down the country, and we want to do our bit to support such a great cause.”

To show their support British Gymnastics will match donations, up to a maximum of £50,000.

Scottish Gymnastics Chief Executive Officer Doc McKelvey said: “Everyone at Scottish Gymnastics is right behind #PresentForPounds as it’s another fun way of bringing the gymnastics family together while we are out of the gym. It is perfect for gymnasts past, present and future to get involved and challenge their friends and family.

“That’s why we’re saying to everyone in Scotland, why not #PresentForPounds to share your love of gymnastics and pride for NHS heroes and raise money for NHS Charities Together.”

To get involved visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/britishgymnasticsnhs.

Holly’s Month of Miles for MND

Holly Archibald, a 32-year-old trainee solicitor from Edinburgh, is running 2.6 miles every day for a month in memory of her uncle who died of Motor Neurone Disease (MND).

The 2.6 Challenge was launched on 26 April, the day the London Marathon was supposed to take place. The challenge called for people across the UK to pick their own ‘2.6 Challenge’ in support of a charity close to their heart.

While adjusting to her new normal in lockdown, Holly decided to take on the challenge by running at least 2.6 miles a day for 31 days, to raise funds for charity MND Scotland after losing her uncle to the disease in 2016.

MND is a rapidly progressing terminal illness, which can cause someone to lose the ability to walk, talk, eat, drink or breathe unaided. The average life expectancy from diagnosis is just 18 months.

Holly said, “We lost my uncle, Ian, three years ago to MND when he was 59. It was awful to see this disease ruin him, and our family. The disease truly frightens me, and I think the support and research MND Scotland provides is vital to fight it. Ian lives on in our memories but also within these challenges.

“I cycled from London to Paris in 2017 to raise funds for MND Scotland and I intend to keep doing what I can to support them. I was emailed about the challenge following the cancellation of the London Marathon (not that I was planning to do that!). I only really started running 5 weeks ago, when we went into lockdown, so I thought this would be sufficiently difficult to encourage people to sponsor me.

“I am very much trying to adapt to the new norm. I certainly have more time on my hands since lockdown, so I am running at least 2.6 (socially distanced) miles per day, from the 26th of April to the 26th of May. Or at least jog. Maybe, towards the end, walk! By the end I’ll have completed at least 80.6 miles. Uncle Ian lives on in our memories but also within these challenges.

“People often see fundraising as needing to run a marathon, do a skydive or something crazy but what this period of time has shown us is that actually you don’t have to do these big grand things. You can do something small like run or walk every day. As long as it challenges you personally. I think that’s one of the positive things coming from this.

“I’d encourage everyone to get involved and do something. Even if you only raise £30, that’s money that wouldn’t have been therefore, so just go for it! Any little really does help and raising awareness is just as important.

“I had a target of £260 given it’s the 2.6 Challenge and have already smashed it, raising £345 so far. This is great but more would be even better. I hope that the cash raised will help MND sufferers and family members, especially during this pandemic.”

Iain McWhirter, MND Scotland’s head of fundraising, said “With many events being cancelled and postponed this year, the 2.6 Challenge gives people something fun and positive to do at home, while raising money for many worthy causes.

“During this uncertain time, we are determined to make sure no one goes through MND alone while the country is on lockdown. That’s why we’ve launched a host of new services to help us stay connected to families affected by MND in Scotland, including video support groups, one-to-one phone calls and emergency grants for anyone who is struggling financially as a result of Covid-19.

“We’re very grateful to supporters like Holly, who are able to use this time at home to support MND Scotland.” 

To support Holly’s miles for MND you can donate online at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/my-2-6-challenge-eaf7ee74-490c-4570-9661-db9ab22d8fba or sign up to do your very own 2.6 Challenge for MND Scotland at www.mndscotland.org.uk/26-challenge.

Cat lovers take up the 2.6 Challenge to save UK charities

Cat lovers are taking up the 2.6 Challenge to raise funds for UK charities and put the fun back into fundraising with many stay-at-home heroes lending their support to Cats Protection.

The 2.6 Challenge was created to address the funding shortfall as events are postponed or cancelled. Supporters are encouraged to come up with fun activities based on the numbers 26 or 2.6, and to seek sponsorship for their favourite UK charities. Events should take place on or around Sunday, 26 April, which would have been the London Marathon’s 40th anniversary.

Cats Protection staff, volunteers and supporters have already signed up with a range of imaginative activities to show that, despite the lockdown, they remain #HereForTheCats. All sponsored events will follow social distancing guidelines, of course.

Birmingham Stair-Trekker Clara Youden (43) refused to curtail her training for a trek in Nepal and has covered the equivalent distance of the 53km trek on her stairs; going up and down the stairs 2,600 times, clocking up 69,553 steps. She even decorated her house in a nod to the places she will see on the trip.

Clara, volunteer team leader at Cats Protection’s Birmingham Adoption Centre, said: “People were doing marathons in their gardens and I thought why not walk the trek distance on my stairs? It was harder than I expected but I’m proud that I did it. It’s really important to keep raising funds as the work our centre does is so incredibly important for local cats. I rehomed cats Mylo and Mikey, who mean the world to me, so it is a cause very close to my heart.”

www.justgiving.com/ClaraYoudenandSarahWhitmore

Gateshead cyclist Tom Parker (58) is a volunteer fundraiser for Cats Protection, who has had rescue cats most of his married life. Tom’s challenge is to cycle a 26-mile loop from Gateshead via Wylam and Wallsend, in aid of the charity’s Gateshead & Newcastle Branch.

He said: “As a keen cyclist, I decided that this was an ideal opportunity to raise much needed money to support my favourite ‘non-human’ charity in extraordinary times.

“I rediscovered my love of cycling four years ago as a means to maintain my physical and mental well-being between rounds of anti-cancer immunotherapy treatment. Fortunately, I’m fully recovered, but I have retained my love of cycling as a means to stay fit.”

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/tom-s-2-6-challenge1091

Norfolk cat care assistant Leah Snowden (29), will stage a 26-hour sponsored sit-in at the charity’s Downham Market Adoption Centre. She said: “I’ll spend more than a day and night sitting and sleeping in one of our feline maternity pens at the centre. With the lockdown this is a good time to do it, as being confined is something we are all struggling with. It should be really interesting as I’ll see life from a cat’s perspective and what it’s like for cats in care.”

Leah rehomed a silver tabby called Lord Rufus four years ago. She said: “He’s a massive part of my life and was even Mr July in Cats Protection’s 2020 calendar. Cats Protection does amazing work and I am super proud to be part of the team at our centre. I see first-hand what a difference we make to the cats lives. I hope I raise some much-needed funds at this uncertain time.”

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/leah-s-2-6-challenge2020

Cardiff fitness fan Louise Smith (39) has set herself a challenge to do 26 minutes of yoga with her cat and film it for all to see. Louise, from Rumney, said: “I have been learning yoga via YouTube during lockdown and I thought it was a good idea to use this challenge to improve my positions. My cat always tries to get involved when I’m practising, which can be quite challenging, especially if I’m on all fours, or on my back.

“My cat Vanian, named after Dave the singer with The Damned, came from Cats Protection in Bridgend. He was born there but was the last one left as he was quite quiet. His more lively brothers and sisters went first, along with the mother. He was very timid when I had him and it took a bit of time to get him to open up. He can be a little anxious about being left alone but he also likes loads of fussing and snuggles on his own terms.”

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/louise-smith188

St Albans cat-lover Emily Ayres (41) will run a marathon through local woodland over the course of a week, in aid of Cats Protection and Parkinsons. Emily rescued her cat after he spent six months unclaimed.

Emily said: “Mikey was four years old when I got him from a local rescue centre. I have had him for around 10 years so he is getting on a bit, but he is still healthy and active. He very much enjoys having me home all the time as he loves company and all the attention. He has been great comfort and company for me during lock down.”

https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/EmilyAyers

Sussex Cats Protection volunteer Karen Middleton (53) and her sons James (13) and Ben (15) plan to run for 26 minutes, but that is just the warm up. She will also complete 26 yoga poses over 26 days, accompanied by her two playful black cats Boris and Jasper, rescue brothers from the National Cat Adoption Centre in Chelwood Gate.

Karen of Hartfield, said: “It’s been really good fun getting ready for this, especially with the children. It has been something for us to focus on during lockdown. The only problem is with Jasper; he’s in on all the action and he likes to sprawl across my yoga mat. I wouldn’t want to flatten him.”

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/karen-s-2-6-challenge2020 

Sleaford horserider Karen Sheldon (58), who is self-isolating and classed as vulnerable, plans to walk 26 times round the paddock with her horse Teena. She is raising money for three charities close to her heart; Cats Protection’s Sleaford and District Branch, where she is branch co-ordinator, World Horse Welfare, former home to her horse Teena, and The Multiple Sclerosis Society.

“I was first diagnosed with MS 29 years ago. I have been very lucky in that, although I have slight problems with mobility, I can walk several miles although I will be tired at the end. Unfortunately, not all people are so fortunate and humans need lots of help at the moment too.”

Karen became a life member of Cats Protection in 1992 when she rescued cats from a former branch in Lincoln. Since then she has re-homed many cats and dedicated a great deal of time and work to Cats Protection.

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/kj-sheldon

Dancer Elaine Eyres will attempt 26 triple-time steps, despite not having worn tap shoes in years. https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ElaineEyers

Surrey dancer Leanne Sternalski-Goodman is taking part in a 26 minute online dance off dressed as a T-Rex dinosaur, raising funds for Cats Protection’s East Surrey, Caterham and Redhill Branch. https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/cpeastsurrey-dinodanceoff

Cat fan Claire Onody is walking 26,000 steps in one day to prepare for the Zambia Big Cat Challenge for Cats Protection.

Manchester runner Lorraine Griffiths is running 12.6 miles on Sunday, as she was due to run London and Manchester Marathons. https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/LorraineGriffiths1

Like many charities, Cats Protection does not receive UK Government funding and its work is largely funded by donations and the fundraising efforts of staff, volunteers and supporters.

Cats Protection’s Fundraising Mass Participation Officer, Zoe Thompson, said: “While our centres and branches are closed to the public, our dedicated staff and volunteers are still here for the cats in care. We can only continue to do this good work with the ongoing support of fundraising, sponsored events and donations.

“We need help from our band of supporters who have always been supremely generous and appreciative of our teams who look after cats all year round. We know they won’t forget us now. They’re here for the cats too.”

To register for the 2.6 Challenge: https://www.cats.org.uk/the26challenge

Don’t forget to share photos and videos using #HereForTheCats and #TwoPointSixChallenge.