September Round Up

September has been another busy month with the challenge, with good attendance at Parkrun in the UK.  With all parkruns we get together for breakfast and celebrate milestones.  This month we celebrated Jens Eberhardt, who completed 150 parkruns and presented him with his Robin Trust shirt.  To add a bit of fun to the challenge Merlin and Kevin have been racing against each other during September and so far Kevin has completed 160 miles so far this month with another week to go.   We were lucky to attend the new launch of ADIDAS training shoes hosted by Gloucester sports.  Running a 7.5KM route looking for treasure clues was a fun event and as usual everyone attending really got into the spirit of the event.  We were successful in winning a prize for our submitted photos that showed the character of our group.  Unfortunately some of us have been hit by a virus, which has slowed us down along with the sever weather we are experiencing.  With a week to go until we leave for run camp, we still have a couch graduation to finish and plan the launch of the next course starting in Mid October when we return from the Canaries.   

We continue to promote the Robins Trust 1000 Mile Challenge, which is an event aimed at promoting physical activity and raising funds to train home-based carers in South Africa. Participants are encouraged to walk, run, or cycle up to 1,000 miles over a year, with several distance options available. The funds raised support individuals like Siyamthanda Mfana, a young woman from Guguletu Township, who is training to become a professional nurse through Robin Trust’s programs.  

The challenge, which was launched in Aug 2024, highlights the dual benefits of improving participants' health while contributing to the community by funding the training of carers who provide essential healthcare services. Siyamthanda’s story of overcoming economic barriers to pursue her nursing career is central to the fundraising efforts this year.  People can join the challenge at any time by donating £15 and tracking their progress. Participants who complete their set goals will receive a medal and can also purchase a challenge shirt to commemorate their efforts​.