On Sunday 9 October, ten Wilder Coe team members took to the challenge of running 13.6 miles in the Richmond Half-marathon fundraiser to raise awareness for three great causes.
Joining together at the starting line on Sunday morning, Bee-Lean Chew and her team pounded paths and pavements at the RUN FEST Richmond Half-Marathon. A fast and flat terrain that took the runners from the Botanical Kew Gardens, through two Royal Parks and along the river Thames.
All racers won a “Flo the Doe” medal after crossing the finishing line, a vibrant character symbolising the local deer that even features a built-in bottle opener. A handy tool for our thirsty runners who deserve a cold, refreshing beverage after all their efforts.
Throughout 2022, Wilder Coe has committed to fundraising for Fibromyalgia Action UK, Cavernoma Alliance UK and PEEPS-HIE as these three charities are close to the hearts of our team.
PEEPS-HIE
In 2019, when my son Franklin was born, he had a traumatic birth and was diagnosed with HIE (Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy). His brain did not receive enough oxygen or blood for a period. Franklin was whisked off to Homerton Hospital, an hour away from us, for cooling treatment to minimise the impact. Thankfully, his prognosis was good, and he does not appear to have any negative impact. For many others, the news is not so positive, and they are significantly impacted from birth. PEEPS are looking to raise awareness of HIE and provide support to anyone affected.
Cavernoma Alliance UK
I first became involved with CAUK when my niece, who had been previously fit and healthy, suddenly started suffering seizures. She was diagnosed with a cavernoma, a collection of abnormal blood vessels often found in the brain, but can also appear on the spinal cord, which looks a little bit like a raspberry. Over recent years, she has undergone brain surgery to reduce the frequency of her seizures, but she still relies on a cocktail of drugs to keep them to a minimum. With over 2,800 people in the UK with this unknown condition, CAUK wants to raise awareness among the public and the medical community.
Fibromyalgia Action UK
Fibromyalgia is a widespread chronic pain condition with no cure and lacks research within the medical community. I received my diagnosis in 2015 after three years spent seeing one specialist after another whilst undergoing multiple scans and medications. It is a hereditary condition; my Mum is wheelchair-bound and was diagnosed when I was 11 years old. Two of my cousins also have the same condition. Awareness and funding are essential, and the end goal must get medical professionals on the condition. Fibromyalgia causes pain and increases pain sensitivity all over your body. During flare-ups, it feels like your bones and limbs are on fire, your body swells, and chronic pain causes memory issues like “brain fog” and depression.
With the festive season approaching, our CSR committee has various firm-wide initiatives to continue raising donations and awareness with raffles, festive quizzes & Christmas bake challenge
Our friends and colleagues have helped us raise £1,320 for the three charities and are continuing to collect donations until the end of 2022 here. Thank you to everyone who has contributed and supported our efforts this year.
It is not only our CSR dedication to help charitable organisations.
Our Charity Advisory Team understands the extra obligations set by the Charity Commission and has strong technical knowledge when handling the sector’s regulatory framework. If you need guidance through governance, assistance with annual reports or help with HR issues, our bespoke service can add real value to your charity’s finance function and help your organisation. Contact us today at charities@wildercoe.co.uk.
