bcm 10k Run in the Sun for MS Trust
Jeremy Vickerman documents bcm’s journey from couch potatoes to keen athletes…
January, the office arrives back after Christmas holidays, gluttony has taken its toll and new years resolutions are rife. Noting the office’s desire to make amends from that extra helping of Christmas pudding washed down with a calorific Port, Kelly and I see this an opportunity to sign everyone up to an event that will be sure to put them through their paces. We decide that the London 10k will be our torture weapon of choice and being the most frequent gym goers and the only two in the office with any previous running experience, we take it upon ourselves to start the recruitment campaign in earnest.
Endorphins! That summer beach body! More energy! Increased confidence! The exhaustive list of positives to sign up buzzed around the office for weeks, forming a rhetoric that Churchill would have been proud of. Topping this off we did some research into running for the MS Trust, a charity very close to Kelly’s heart as her mother suffers from this incredibly challenging illness. Once this was confirmed, it was clear that charity was the clincher as the team was seven strong within a week.
The whole set up process was simple and made even easier with the help of our lovely Fundraising Officer Laura Percival who held our hand every step of the way. Training and the fundraising then became the order of the day with £1000 as our target; the journey had started for everyone’s transition into athletes and charity campaigners.
Hilarious training stories started circulating the office backed up with many a tea run accompanied by a limp. We reached our target in no time and the training became easier with personal bests being broken almost on a daily basis.
Time flew and before we knew it we are standing on the start line by Green Park in London in almost 30-degree heat. Initial nerves and butterflies were soon put to bed, as the swarm of 20,000 runners eventually started moving.
Cut to an hour and eighteen minutes later and the team are reunited on the finish line, hot, tired and proud. The support from the MS Trust representatives was fantastic and definitely boosted all of our performances. Not only was this an opportunity for our company to get together and do something positive for ourselves, but first and foremost it gave us an opportunity to raise £1370 (including gift aid) for the MS Trust and raise the profile of the work that this fantastic charity does.
As Laura Percival, our Fundraising officer from the MS Trust said: “More than 50 people are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) every week in the UK. When you’re living with MS, the importance of access to accurate information and specialist help cannot be underestimated. The MS Trust provides free information to everyone affected by MS and supports the health professionals who work with MS. We can only do this thanks to the generous people who donate or fundraise on our behalf. We would like to say a big thank you to the team from bcm public relations for the money they have raised to support the work of the MS Trust.”
As for me, I would like to say a big thank you to all the bcm team Alex, Ben, Kelly, Katie, Michelle and Rosie who decided to get involved in this event; your effort both in training and on the fundraising has been second to none. I also would like to thank the organisers of the London 10k event as this does not look like the easiest event to manage and for ensuring we had enough water on what was an absolute scorcher. Finally and most importantly I would like to thank Laura and her team at the MS Trust and congratulate them on all the fantastic work they are doing to support sufferers along with their families and raising awareness of this debilitating illness.
If you haven’t donated already and would like to, please visit the bcm fundraising page.