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Throughout July 2020 I’m going to run 5km a day for 30 consecutive days to fundraise for Friend in Deed. Pfft, 5k, so what? Well it may not sound like a lot, but over 30 days that adds up to 150km - this is more than the entire Norfolk coastline (133.5km), further than 3.5 London marathons, or the length of 15,800 buses! So why am I putting myself through this? 

As an NHS worker, I’ve been overwhelmed with the generosity and support from the community during the Coronavirus pandemic. COVID19 and lockdown has obviously had a monumental impact on people of all ages, but elderly people have found themselves particularly isolated and lonely during this time. I’d like to show my appreciation to the community by fundraising for a fantastic local charity, Friend in Deed, which works across generations to promotes kindness and reduce loneliness. Inter-generational care home visits have been unable to continue over the past few months for obvious reasons, but Friend in Deed have been working tirelessly to ensure that elderly people have been able to keep in touch with their little visitors in a safe way, which always puts a big smile on their faces! [More info about this fantastic charity below.]

I would really love your support with this challenge to keep me focussed and motivated when things get tough. This is going to be a massive challenge for me because 1) I’m pretty unfit 2) I’ll eat a whole pack of Bourbon biscuits in the bath which gives an indication of my willpower 3) I’m working a lot of unsociable shifts during the pandemic so some runs will be at 8am after a night shift, and other such ungodly times.

Friend in Deed is a Norfolk based charity that creates friendship across generations through various intergenerational schemes. Their aim is to reduce loneliness and promote kindness. Registered charity number 1180725. Intergenerational care home visits involves babies, children and young adults visiting care homes, dementia cafes, day centres and sheltered housing sites. At the sessions, people can chat, play games and interact with older people to help reduce loneliness and promote kindness. Intergenerational visits have been proven to not only benefit the older generation but also benefit young people. For children, interacting with older people can help with their development, ability to form friendships and also encourage them to communicate effectively. For older children, these visits can help with their ability to empathise with others and can result in meaningful friendships and a means of support throughout their adolescent years. Older people in care often feel isolated and lonely so Friend in Deed's schemes have an incredible impact on the mental health and wellbeing of older people and those living with Dementia.