Hope Spring Joins the 2.6 Charity Challenge

The Covid-19 pandemic has left a significant hole in the finances of UK charities. The effect of the cancellation of thousands of events and the loss of billions in income through fundraising events, has seen the sector struggling financially.

Hope Spring 5K Fun Run event which was due to take place on the 17th of May, was cancelled, one of the many charity fundraising events that has become a casualty of Covid-19. Other charities and events are in the same boat. One of the most successful one-day fundraising events, the London Marathon which raised over £66.4 million for thousands of charities last year was also cancelled. 

In response to thousands of cancelled events, the organisers of the biggest mass participation sports events across the country have come together to create a new campaign to raise vital funds to help our fundraising and save the UK’s charities.

The campaign, The 2.6 Challenge, will launch on Sunday 26 April 2020 – what should have been the date of the 40th London Marathon. The challenge will last for a week. 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 and remember to stay local.

From Sunday 26 April 2020, we are asking you to dream up an activity based around the numbers 2.6 or 26 and fundraise by donating on our Virgin Money Giving page. 

“The 2.6 Challenge can be anything that works for you,” says 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 lockdown period coincides with the time of the year most their fundraisers are very active, especially smaller charities.” said Temi Odurinde, Chair of the board of trustees of Hope Spring. “naturally, we have had to cancel our annual 5K fun run, and our participation in Hereford River Carnival, which was scheduled for the end of May’. 

We hope that our participation in The 2.6 Challenge, which starts on the 26th of April, will go someway to helping Hope Spring and other UK charities, raise some money so that they keep doing what they do best; helping the most vulnerable people in our communities” 

You can find more information and accept Hope Spring water’s 2.6 challenge on their website.