Organisers, partners and sponsors of the Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon have come together to urge the residents of Chesterfield & North Derbyshire to the support the event’s two key local charities ‘in any way possible’.

With people across the UK taking part in ‘run five, donate five, nominate five’ challenges to support charities under increased strain due to the coronavirus outbreak, organisers of the Redbrik Half are encouraging local communities to keep active and support Ashgate Hospicecare and Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice wherever possible.

The challenge encourages people to run, jog or walk 5km – or complete other forms of physical exercise – before donating a minimum of £5 to a charity of their choice and in turn nominating five friends to do the same, usually via social media.

Event organisers MLS Contracts have been joined by headline sponsor Redbrik Estate Agents and event partners Peak FM, Blachford UK Ltd, Pronto Paints, Chesterfield Borough Council, Destination Chesterfield, HRM, North Derbyshire Running Club and Franklin & Sons Ltd in issuing a rallying call to raise funds and awareness for Ashgate Hospicecare and Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice.

Ashgate Hospicecare is among the charities across the country helping to relieve pressure on the NHS after opening its doors to coronavirus patients, and launched an #AshgateUrgentAppeal as an urgent plea for public support earlier this month.

Meanwhile, Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice’s #LetsPledge campaign encourages people across the region to pledge support for the charity in any way they can. Public support will enable the charity to continue providing vital care for vulnerable children and young people.

Since its inception in 2017, the Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon has seen more than £140,000 pledged to good causes – including Ashgate Hospicecare and Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice.

John Timms, Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon Event Director, said: “The Redbrik Half Marathon’s primary focus is supporting the local community, including fantastic charities such as Ashgate Hospicecare and Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice.”

“We’re incredibly proud of the response from event partners and local people in pledging their support for Ashgate and Bluebell Wood at this particularly crucial time.”

“Support for charities at this time is vital, especially those which support frontline workers and provide essential services to the most vulnerable people.”

“As an event which aims to promote and improve the health and wellbeing of the people of Chesterfield, we felt the ‘run five, donate five, nominate five’ idea would be a great way of encouraging people to support fantastic causes while staying healthy, within the Government’s current social distancing guidelines.”

Mark Ross, Managing Director of event headline sponsor Redbrik, said: “At Redbrik, we want to do as much as we can to give back to the local community and this desire is the essence of the Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon.”

“Given the Covid-19 pandemic, and the attention understandably focused on healthcare frontlines, we need to ensure that Ashgate and Bluebell Wood receive more support than ever, in terms of both awareness and funding, so their vital work can continue.”

To support Ashgate Hospicecare, click here. For more information on how to support Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, click here.

Click here more information on the Redbrik Chesterfield Half Marathon.

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