School Playground Equipment Workers Run for Charity
CHILDREN’S charity Hop Skip and Jump is to benefit from the blood sweat and blisters of a team from a local company as they run for sponsorship in the Bath Half Marathon next week.
This is the second time workers from award-winning Playforce, one of the country’s leading providers of school playground equipment, has taken part in a sponsored event for Hop, Skip and Jump, which is based in Kingswood.
A group of 14 runners from the Holt-based company have been training hard for the event, which takes place on Sunday, March 25. They hope to raise over £5,000 - the same amount Playforce raised for the charity last year when a team cycled 140 miles coast to coast.
“We want to do as much as possible for Hop, Skip and Jump and, after completing the cycle ride, even more of the Playforce staff wanted to get involved in raising funds,” said Edward Webb, Managing Director. “The Nationwide Bath Half Marathon seemed like the perfect way to continue our support.
“It will be quite a challenge for all of us, but as individuals and as a company, we believe that play is a crucial part of any child’s development and we wholeheartedly support the charity’s aim of providing play facilities for children with life limiting and life threatening illness or any special need. Knowing that our efforts will help even one more child have fun is worth all the pain!”
To prepare for the event, Rosanne Gunning, a Playforce sales consultant who is also a qualified personal trainer, has been helping the team with fitness. She has worked on the team’s strength, stamina, agility and speed, devising a programme that includes strength and power training together with cardio-vascular cross-training exercises which will ensure all team members are physically up to the challenge.
“We are extremely grateful to the Playforce team for all their hard work and thrilled that they are entering a team of runners into the Nationwide Bath Half Marathon,” Carrie Doman, Team Coordinator for Hop Skip and Jump. “Events like this are crucial in helping Hop Skip and Jump raise vital funds for its centre.”
