Steve's experience running the Great North Run

Why did you choose to run for us?

"I wanted to take on a running event and, being an absolute novice, I wanted it to be challenging but not impossible; this ruled out a full marathon at the time. I felt a 10k was perhaps a little too achievable, so I settled on a half marathon distance," Steve explains. 

"Barnardo’s has always been a charity close to home and near the top of the list when looking for someone to raise funds for. So, when my employer, The Co-operative Group, launched its latest charity partnership with Barnardo’s, I knew I had to get involved," Steve tells us. 

"The last few years have been tough on everyone, but none more so than our children, and they need our support more than ever. Modern life is very challenging, and a lot of our children are struggling as a result. Given the right level of support, the next generation can really make a difference. We need to do right by them and ensure all children, regardless of their situation, have access to the support and opportunity they need to fulfil their potential." 

"From a personal point of view, my daughter is autistic, has Cerebral Palsy and struggles hugely with anxiety," Steve shares. "On our journey to get her the support she needs, we have dealt with a lot of different departments and know how stretched children’s services are. The waiting lists for diagnosis and support are huge, and children are not always getting the support they need when they need it.

"That said, my daughter is making progress, and this is in no small part due to Barnardo’s. We have local Barnardo’s sessions which she attends weekly. They have given her a place where she can be herself and build her confidence, which in turn helps her manage her anxiety better. Another reason for supporting this great charity and the amazing work you do." 

How did you find fundraising for Barnardo's, and do you have any  tips for future fundraisers?

"My fundraising journey has been about 18 months now. I teamed up with a colleague and we have raised in the region of £12,000, which is phenomenal and way above our original target of £5,000. We had a couple of things in mind when planning the fundraising campaign. We looked for some low-effort-decent-return things, and our main event was to be a prize draw. 

"We found football cards, bonus ball lotteries, sweepstakes and competitions worked well in the former category. We did four football cards in total, with each one bringing in £125. The bonus ball lottery ran for 10 weeks, gaining £60 a week. A simple higher or lower card competition brought in over £100. The prize draw took more effort and planning, from canvassing local businesses for prizes, getting the word out there, and raising funds. 

"In terms of canvassing for prizes, we firstly started targeting major businesses in the area through email and social media. The success rate for this was quite low, with perhaps 1 in 30 responding. We decided to change tack, and one afternoon we put on our Barnardo’s t-shirts and knocked on the doors of businesses in the local vicinity. 

"The difference could not be greater. Everyone wanted to speak to us about what we were doing. Barnardo’s is such a respected charity, and even those who could not help due to company policies were really happy to speak to us and wish us luck. I would say about 90% of the doors we knocked on came good with things like hotel stays, bottles of whiskey, toiletries, restaurant vouchers, and more. This made our fundraising much easier as we had a great set of prizes. In the end, the draw brought in a huge £2170. 

"In addition to this, one fruitful thing was instead of requesting cash donations, to ask people to donate goods for resale. It takes a bit of effort to coordinate and pick up/store items, but the rewards were good. Everyone has things they want rid of in the house, so we did them a favour really. The smaller items were sold at car boot sales, and the larger ones on eBay/Facebook Marketplace. Incidentally, one thing that sold very well at the car boot was half used designer fragrances, and everyone has some of them cluttering their dressing table." 

Do you have any words of wisdom for future #TeamBarnardo's runners?

"Be ambitious, you will have a minimum target, but why not put a stretch target on your fundraising pages? It helps encourage people to be more generous if your target is big.

"Recruit support from friends, colleagues, and family. You will be splitting your time between training and fundraising, so all the help you can get from others will be appreciated.

"Don’t be shy, get your cause out there via all means and do it regularly with updates on your progress, little anecdotes add a personal element to it.

"You are most likely not the only person raising funds for your event, so why not join forces for a big fundraising event that may be too big to do on your own?"

Is there anything else you would like to mention?

"A massive thank you to Barnardo’s for giving me the opportunity to take part in some amazing experiences, for giving me a platform to raise some much-needed funds, and for the support I have had from everyone along the way.

"On the day itself, the Barnardo’s cheering station gave us a much-needed boost en route, and the welcome at the finish line was great. I felt like a hero. In truth, the fact that they had drinks and snacks waiting for us, along with the big smiles and congratulations, I would say they were the heroes. 

"I truly believe in the work you do, and although it is a travesty that we need you in the first place, it is very important that we help you to continue to support young people through every challenging situation. Thank you for all you do."