More than a Marathon: Running for Hope

The London Marathon is the world's largest annual 1-day fundraising event, and has raised more than £1.3 billion for charity since 1982. This year was the 45th edition of the London Marathon, with a world record breaking number of people who crossed the finish line, a total of 56,640 runners. One of these runners was Sarah, who signed up to the marathon with the aim to fundraise for The Bridge.

I was given a place for the London Marathon 2025 and through this made the decision to raise money in memory of Tom Grief who sadly passed away in September 2024. Tom's Mum Rosie is a close friend and also a very good running buddy. The Bridge Homelessness to Hope was a charity Tom's family decided to support in his memory. Training was tough, especially during winter and really not the greatest preparation for one of the hottest days of the year so far. I know however, how lucky I was to be able to run the marathon and despite the brutal heat on the day managed a 15 minute PB. As you can see in my photos, I also managed to make a new celebrity friend!

Tom's parents, Rosie and Pete, chose to support The Bridge in his memory, raising nearly £1000 including a donation of clothes. The funds were put towards sleeping bags which came at a vital time as the weather turned colder and wetter.

I have been completely humbled by the strength demonstrated by Rosie and her family during the past few months. Running a marathon is really very little in comparison to what Rosie and her family have been, and will continue to go through. Training, and the 'victory lap' in London will no doubt be tough at times but is something that will be a positive use of the time that has been given to me and I hope will be a fitting tribute to Tom and to his family's resilience and character. Raising funds for The Bridge will also make a huge difference to supporting some of the most vulnerable people in society, so please contribute if you can.

Sarah's love of running has definitely put it to good use as she raised £1,300 for The Bridge! If you’d like to support Sarah, her Enthuse page is currently still live, you can donate here: https://thebridgehomelessnesstohope.enthuse.com/pf/sarah-anderson

Fundraising is a vital part of what keeps The Bridge running, without the support of those who fundraise for us we would not be able to offer the services we do. A large number of people who are either experiencing homelessness, at risk of being homeless, or otherwise living vulnerably rely on The Bridge to help. We are open 5 days a week, and offer drinks and hot meals, shower and washing facilities, clothes and toiletries, computers and free wifi, and access to professionals including our case workers, the DWP, Turning Point, a Mental Health team from the NHS, and The Lighthouse Project.

By the end of last year we had recorded a 51% increase in the number of times our services were accessed, and throughout the first half of 2025, the numbers are going up again. We average 70 guests visiting a day.

Thank you so much to Sarah for raising these essential funds for us, and for everyone who donated to her.

If you would like to fundraise for The Bridge, please click on the link here to do so: https://www.bridgeleicester.org/fundraising

And for any other ways to support The Bridge, please click here: https://www.bridgeleicester.org/donate