Famous faces join challenge to help Save the UK's Charities
Celebrities, Olympians and sports stars are helping to rally the public to get behind The 2.6 Challenge campaign to help save the UK’s charities from Sunday 26 April.
Organisers of the country’s biggest mass participation sports events have come together to create the campaign to help save the UK’s charities which are facing an estimated £4 billion shortfall.
With two days to go before The 2.6 Challenge officially begins on Sunday 26 April, fundraising has already broken the £1.5 million mark. Organisers expect that figure to grow rapidly from Sunday – what should have been the 40th edition of the London Marathon, the world’s biggest one day annual fundraising event and, for many charities, the biggest fundraising day of the year.
Celebrities lending their support to the campaign include: Ellie Goulding, Stephen Fry, Davina McCall, Ross Kemp, Clare Balding, Levison Wood, Piers Morgan, and a huge list of sports stars including; Jonny Wilkinson, Gareth Bale, Seb Coe, Iwan Thomas, Karen Carney, Sue Smith, Johanna Konta, Andrew Strauss, Matt Pinsent, Helen Glover and Chris Froome.
They’re calling on the public to join them in dreaming up an activity based around the numbers 2.6 or 26 and fundraise or donate to their chosen charity via twopointsixchallenge.co.uk. The 2.6 Challenge is open to anyone of any age – the only requirement is that the activity must follow the Government guidelines on exercise and social distancing.
“The 2.6 Challenge can be anything that works for you,” said Nick Rusling, Co-Chair of the Mass Participation Sports Organisers group (MSO) and CEO of Human Race. “You can run or walk 2.6 miles, 2.6km or for 26 minutes. You could do the same in your home or garden, go up and down the stairs 26 times, juggle for 2.6 minutes, do a 26 minute exercise class or get 26 people on a video call and do a 26 minute workout – anything you like. We want people to get active, have fun and raise money to help Save the UK’s Charities by giving money or raising funds for the charity close to your heart.”
“For many of the UK’s charities, the day of the London Marathon is the biggest fundraising day of the year,” said Hugh Brasher, Co-Chair of MSO and Event Director of London Marathon Events. “One of the founding pillars of the London Marathon was ‘to show how the family of mankind can be united’. We hope that The 2.6 Challenge, which starts on the day our 40th Race should have taken place, will embody that spirit and inspire people, families and communities to fundraise for their chosen charity to help Save the UK’s Charities. Right now, our vulnerable members of society need the help of charities more than ever before. We are asking everyone to create a 2.6 Challenge of their own and raise funds or pledge a donation.”
