An amazing total of around £4,000 has been raised for Caring Together Charity by a terrific team of runners who went the extra mile at the Cambridge Half Marathon.
Six representatives from The Chase Care Home, Huntingdon, and parent company Connaught Care, teamed up with five members of Caring Together staff – John Platten, Lizzie Hindler, Ruth Young, Alice Longden and Ella McKenzie – plus Cambridge-based digital marketer Tim Callington, in a powerful show of solidarity for the thousands of unpaid carers who provide vital support to loved ones every day across Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and Norfolk.
In the lead-up to race day, The Chase also hosted a special fundraising auction evening, raising an impressive £1,945 for Caring Together.
Laura Price, Senior Fundraising Manager at Caring Together, reflected: “We are hugely grateful to this brilliant band of runners who raised a magnificent amount for the charity.
“They all trained hard and fundraised even harder for this epic event, and every mile they ran will make a real difference to the lives of unpaid carers in our community.”
Domonic Bird, Connaught Care’s Group Sales Development Manager, who took part in the half-marathon, said: “Training for the Cambridge Half Marathon has been one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences in my life.
“I think every runner knows the pain of staring at your shoes and thinking about skipping a session, but for me knowing I was doing it for an important cause helped massively. Caring Together really is a brilliant charity and I’m so proud to have been able to support their work.”
Across Cambridgeshire, Peterborough and Norfolk alone there are over 150,000 unpaid carers, and likely many more who have not realised they fall into this category. Nationally, nearly three in five people are expected to become unpaid carers within the next decade, and yet 73% of people who are providing (or have provided) care remain unaware they count as a carer.
This knowledge gap can make it even harder for unpaid carers to cope with the physical and emotional strain of full-time care. Many will face financial hardship, career disruptions, and poverty and poor physical and mental health as a result of their situation – impacts which could be mitigated through earlier intervention and structured support.
Laura Price said: “According to our research, three in five people in the UK will become a carer at some point in their lifetime – whether it’s looking after family members long-term illnesses, or caring for a friend living with disabilities.
“Raising awareness has therefore never been more important, and we’re very proud our runners have used their energy and commitment to champion this cause.”
You can still give your support to the runners and donate to Caring Together Charity by emailing fundraising@caringtogether.org or via www.caringtogether.org.
