Supporting Sport In Our Community
Supporting Sport In Our Community
The Finish Line Fund’s new merchandise store is now up and running with orders already being placed.
If you fancy a swanky new shirt, snood or a snazzy umbrella (other items are available) click on the merchandise tab and have a look.
Thanks to Carly at Dandelion Prints for producing our items.
It was a busy year for the charity in 2020.
Despite Covid 19 severely restricting live fundraising event opportunities, the Charity was successful in exceeding its fundraising budget of £13,000 set in April 2019 for the period to 31st October 2020. Many thanks to everyone who contributed and made that happen.
This success was due in the main to the extremely successful use of online campaigns via Just Giving.
One of these, a marathon campaign by one of the trustees has raised c£3,000, whilst a specifically targeted campaign to raise funds for a defibrillator for East Beach, Southend-on-Sea raised c£1,500
In early 2020, the Charity agreed to work with Southend Council to raise funds for the installation of two defibrillators on Southend-on-Sea seafront. These being two of the first three installed anywhere on the seafront.
Installation was completed at Jubilee Beach in July 2020 and East Beach in September 2020. These being full public access facilities, making the seafront a safer place for locals and visitors alike.
Additionally, the Charity has provided a defibrillator for a local race organiser to use at their events and has also agreed a strategy to focus on funding similar facilities for other clubs within the area where applicable.
A number of grants were made to race organisers and clubs for equipment and to cover the cost of medical facilities at events. Given the pandemic, some of these grants will roll over into 2020/21.
In addition to the provision of three defibrillators as detailed, another key achievement was to fund the set-up costs (£3,000) of a second parkrun in Southend-on-Sea at Chalkwell Beach. This successfully launched in March 2020, being attended by 953 runners during the first three weeks, before the lockdown struck.
2021 has already seen us agree four more grants to local sports clubs and we reiterate once more how grateful we are to all our supporters.
Keith Passingham, 69, will run around Southend’s 23-mile (37km) Millennium Walk in a challenge based on the trails to the ancient Inca ruins of Machu Picchu in southern Peru. – Courtesy PA News Agency
A retired science teacher plans to complete seven charity running challenges based on the New Seven Wonders of the World to mark his 70th birthday year.
The keen runner also aims to complete 2,340ft (713m) of ascent – the height above sea level of Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue – within a single run around his hometown of Rayleigh, Essex.
He is devising a challenge for each of the New Seven Wonders of the World: the Great Wall of China; Chichen Itza in Mexico; Petra in Jordan; Machu Picchu; Christ the Redeemer; the Colosseum; and the Taj Mahal.
He said he had looked at the original Seven Wonders of the World when devising his challenge “without any joy”.
“It just didn’t fit, so I looked at the new wonders and I tried to base it on them,” he said.
“I’ve still got a couple that I’ve got to try to work out.
“The Great Wall of China, and a place called Petra (in Jordan).
“I’ve had to go on Wikipedia quite a bit.”
Mr Passingham, who will turn 70 in November, is raising funds for the Finish Line Fund which was established in 2014 after the death of a Flyers Southend running group member who collapsed after he finished the Southend Half Marathon.
He is chairman of trustees at the Finish Line Fund, which has helped to pay for defibrillators along Southend’s seafront, first aid and coaching, and contributed towards the costs of setting up a local parkrun.
It also provides grants including to runners or their families affected by serious injury, disability or death while participating in the sport.
“Last year one of the other trustees did 20 marathons in 2020 and raised sufficient funds to buy two defibrillators, and I thought I would carry on the fundraising,” said Mr Passingham, who started running in the 1980s.
He is aiming to run 1,111 miles (1,788km) in 2021 in a challenge “loosely based on” the ruined ancient Mayan city of Chichen Itza in Mexico.
He said he found a virtual run around Lake Superior in North America which is “almost that sort of figure” and is 1,111 miles long.
He plans to run an ultra-marathon called Race To The King, from Andover in Hampshire to Winchester, for his Taj Mahal challenge.
For his Colosseum challenge he will participate in an event called Hercules Labour Two – the Night Run, where he will run as far as he can in six hours at night.
Mr Passingham, who was born in 1951, is aiming to raise more than £1,951 for charity from his challenges.
He started the Flyers Southend running group in 2001 while working to get his fitness back after recovering from bowel cancer.
– To donate, see https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/keith-passingham1
As we close the door on 2020, we are extremely proud of the fund raising that took part in incredibly difficult times. Our thanks and heart felt gratitude goes out to every single person who helped us achieve our fund raising target last year.
You can see some of the great work you helped with here News – Finish Line Fund
We now look forward and to 2021. As a small charity, we are always looking for people to help our cause, so if you feel you can help, please get in touch – you can really help make a difference.
Everyone at Finish Line Fund is naturally extremely thankful to Trustee Anne Purdham and all of her supporters upon the completion of her fantastic 20 marathons in 2020 fundraising challenge yesterday.
As the year unfolded with the cancellation of most organised events, Anne required even more determination and dedication to complete the challenge culminating in 5 marathons over the last 5 weekends.
A massive thank you to everyone who has supported the charity along the way , but the biggest thanks of course go to Anne on her fantastic effort. Special mention too to Graham for his wonderful support act!
Her fundraising page currently stands at over £2,800. A quick reminder as to what this and other fundraising efforts have funded this year:
Thanks again everyone who has contributed , an finally, in these difficult times Finish Line Fund Trustees wish all our supporters a very Merry & Safe Christmas
Save the date (31st July) and get signed up for what I’m sure will be another fantastic @HareTortoiseLtd event
https://hare-tortoise-running.eventize.co.uk/e/finish-line-frolic-2023-539
We are always find new ways of raising for the charity, now you can help us whilst looking good with a new range of Finish Line Fund merchandise coming soon. Our online store is coming soon! A fantastic range just in time for Christmas!
Check the store out by click here
