Children, parents and coaches at sports classes across the country have raised more than £20,000 for Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG).
Coaches at more than 30 franchises of Mini Athletics, in its second year of supporting CCLG, put on special classes for their mini athletes during its annual Charity Week, which this year had the theme of ‘emergency services’, to raise funds.
The week saw the mini athletes, dressed as paramedics, police officers and firefighters, take part in a number of fun and imaginative activities, devised by Mini Athletics’ founders Clare and Kirk Bowyer, whilst being sponsored to do so.
Ben Russell, Head Coach and Owner at Mini Athletics’ North Birmingham franchise, said:
It was a really good week. It was good fun and really just embodies the spirit of Mini Athletics.
Last year we raised £15,000. We set a target at 16,000 this year and I don't think anyone expected us to get over 20,000, which was amazing. It was really exciting to see it growing all the time really.
I think it was so successful because everybody bought into it. It was just incredible that everybody worked together really to raise that amount of money.
We're really proud that the children and parents have all gone away and took it so seriously. And I think that's because we’re raising money for such an important charity, which supports parents in the way it does, which is incredible.
You just feel really, really motivated to put the work in and then afterwards, it feels so worthwhile.
We’re just absolutely delighted to be able to help the charity and hopefully can continue to do that. [As coaches] I think we're incredibly proud of, not ourselves, really, because yes, we put the classes on, but we're incredibly proud of the parents and the children that attend the classes.
In addition to the fundraising, a key objective for the Mini Athletics team was to use the week to raise awareness of CCLG and what it does, as well as children’s cancer in general.
Ben explained: “I'd like to think that other than just the money, we've raised awareness of the charity as well. We tried to direct people to the charity through social media and get people on its pages to be aware of the stories and the effects of cancer in children.
“It's making sure that the parents and the people that are part of our audience are aware of this charity, not just for getting them to donate, but just to direct them to the fact that this amazing charity exists.”
As a children’s charity, Ben said that CCLG was a perfect fit for Mini Athletics, and a cause that all involved felt passionately about. He said:
On a weekly basis, see your child running around in an athletics class having fun, being healthy and active, and being a dad of two young children myself, I think when you look at the charity that we're raising money for, you count yourself really fortunate that you're able to take your children to the class and allow them to run around.
There are people out there that don't have that opportunity. It really does resonate with everyone involved.
Hannah Ortega, Community & Relationship Fundraising Executive at CCLG, said: “We’d like to say a huge thank you to all the amazing mini athletes, parents, coaches and franchisees for their heroic athleticism during Charity Week.
“We’re hugely grateful for their incredible support, which will help us change the future for children with cancer.”