|
Home > Newslist
Challenging stroll in the park
Friday September 26th 2008. Posted: 09:30
 |
|
BT’s team for UNICEF, from left, John Collins, Amanda Hallam, Steve Denison and Emi Knott. Daniel Geheran is the missing team member.
|
Having run in two London Marathons, six half-marathons and completed the exhausting Three Peaks Challenge, Amanda Hallam is expecting the event she has entered on Sunday 12 October to be something of a walk in the park.
But the inaugural Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon is likely to prove more of a challenge to some of Amanda’s colleagues from BT Global Services strategic sales. They have volunteered to take part in the run with her to raise money for UNICEF. At least one member of the team has no previous experience of long-distance running while others are relative novices. Amanda, who works from her home near Oxford, and is a member of the Banbury Harriers athletics club, has put together training programmes for her colleagues to help them to prepare for the big day. She said: “Having convinced them to join me on the run, I owe it to them to give them as much support as I can. I was always being told by colleagues that they would love to do a run for charity, but somehow they never got round to it. So when I saw that the royal parks were being used for a race for the first time, I thought it was a great opportunity to call their bluff. “When my notice went out, several colleagues discovered long-standing injuries or clashing commitments in their diaries. But four took up the challenge, and I’m really grateful to them for agreeing to do so.” Joining Amanda on 12 October will be general manager Steve Denison, sales development manager Emi Knott and strategic sales colleagues John Collins and Daniel Geheran. The run will start and finish in Hyde Park, and will wind its way through St. James's Park, Green Park and Kensington Gardens. Amanda and her colleagues are hoping to raise at least £2,750 between them for the Inspiring Young Minds global charity programme set up last year by BT and UNICEF. It has set a £140,000 employee fundraising target for the second year of the partnership to help children in Brazil who have dropped out of school, or those at risk of doing so. The money will pay for teachers, sports equipment and facilities as well as communications to tell children and families about the projects. To support the team, visit their donations website.
| 
Last updated:
09:56