Thank you for taking the time to visit my Just Giving page.

I have been lucky to have worked for the amazing charity that is Plunkett Foundation for the past 13 years. When I first meet people, within minutes they will know all about Plunkett! 

When I found out I had a place in the London Marathon, I had no hesitation on the two charities I wanted to fundraise for; Plunkett Foundation and Prostate Cancer Research. By donating via this page you will be supporting Plunkett, and please read on to find out why this is so important.

Plunkett is a UK wide charity that supports the setting up and the running of community businesses. Community businesses are businesses that are democratically owned and run by the local community - providing essential services such as shops and saving valuable community assets like pubs from being lost permanently. However, community businesses offer so much more than just a place to buy a pint of milk or a pint of beer; they are warm and welcoming social hubs bringing together every member of the community.

Every day, community businesses are lifelines, and never more so than in the past year when we have seen our lives turned upside down by Covid. During my time at Plunkett, I have heard an array of stories of how community businesses have supported the most vulnerable of their community:
•    how volunteering in the shop saved someone from suicide after losing their partner,
•    how the 18 year old was given a reason to recover after suffering horrific injuries in a car crash,
•    how one local resident in recovery from a brain tumour, found employment in a community shop as they were happy to provide the flexibility he needed and which the high street retailers simply weren't prepared to offer.

Running a community business is hard work and for the most part, they are run and staffed by volunteers who always go the extra mile.
Every penny you donate will help Plunkett remain on hand to support over 1,000 community groups and their volunteers, enabling them to continue accessing free services such as one-to-one business advice, training and networking opportunities that will ensure their business can survive and thrive for the community. 

Getting a place in the London Marathon and fundraising for Plunkett is my chance to give back to the whole network of community businesses across the UK who work tirelessly every day to improve the lives of those in the local community - through tackling loneliness and social isolation, creating volunteer and training opportunities and providing an informal network of care for the people who need them the most.

Please do donate if you can. And if you would like to find out why I am raising funds for Prostate Cancer Research too, please visit my Team page at https://www.justgiving.com/team/harriet