Keep on Running event raises over £1,000

Members Phil Reynolds and Emma Delea have raised over £1,000 in aid of our charity by completing a running challenge along the River Stort as part of the new Step 2 It fundraising campaign.

The pair, who both live in the East of England, organised a ‘Keep on Running’ event, which gave donors the opportunity to determine how far they ran by committing to jog a km for every £100 received in sponsorship.

The duo raised £1,040 in sponsorship, which meant they would have to run 10km, but because every penny raised as part of the campaign will be match funded, they decided to run double distance and completed 13.7 miles – the equivalent of a half marathon.

The challenge took place on Saturday 1 May 2021, the first official day of the campaign, with Emma and Phil running the length of the River Stort from Harlow Mill to Bishop Stortford and back.

Commenting on the run, Phil said: “For me the first half of the run was great, good views, wonderful company, lovely weather, sunny but not too hot. However, from around nine miles in, I started to struggle – this was the furthest I’d ever run, but I had the much more experienced runner in Emma pushing me on. There was a real sense of achievement in finishing – marking a personal milestone, as I only seriously started running in September 2020, but raising over £1,000 for the Step 2 It campaign on the first day was a great experience.”

David Woodward, Master of The Furniture Makers’ Company, said: “With many of us having led more sedentary lives than normal over the past year, we’re hoping Step 2 It will encourage the trade to get active by organising COVID-compliant events that bring people together and promote the charity’s work while raising funds.  I want to say a huge thank you to Emma and Phil for the tremendous effort in completing a half marathon to kick off the Step 2 It campaign and raising a great amount – many congratulations.”

Emma and Phil are now considering another run to mark the end of the campaign in April 2022.