More than £5,000 raised by Everyone Active staff in honour of late colleagues

60 leisure centre staff members from Crawley and the surrounding areas have raised more than £5,000 with a 40-mile hike fundraiser.

The chosen charities were Breast Cancer Now, which supports people and the families of those living with breast cancer and The Ben Kinsella Trust, a charity that aims to help tackle knife crime through education and campaigns.

Taking place over 14 hours on Thursday 19 September, the group took on the challenge of walking from Meadowside Leisure Centre in Winchester, to Westgate Leisure Centre in Chichester, across the South Downs.

Setting off in the early hours of the morning, the team took on the monumental hike, tackling almost 4,000ft of elevation along the way.

Colleagues included those from Westgate Leisure Centre, Meadowside Leisure Centre, Winchester Sport and Leisure Park, Bracknell Leisure Centre and K2 Crawley.

The two charities were poignant for the fundraising team due to one colleague recently losing her battle with cancer and a colleague in Crawley being a recent fatal victim of knife crime.

To date, the team of fundraisers has raised more than £5,000, with donations still coming in through the event’s dedicated JustGiving page.

Ben Polhill and Anna Pembery, Activity and Wellbeing Managers across Chichester for Everyone Active, organised the fundraiser. Ben said: “The incredible grit and determination that several of our colleagues showed in getting to the finish line was outstanding. It was a tough day, but each member of our team ensured they crossed the finish line to raise vital funds for the two charities.

“The support on the day was amazing to witness – from the team camaraderie to help with carrying bags and lending of equipment, no colleague was ever left by themselves and we finished as a team to honour our deeply missed colleagues.”

“For the whole team, it’s touching that we’ve been able to not only reach but exceed our fundraising target. We know each penny raised will go towards improving the quality of life of those living with cancer and help to ensure children and young people are kept safe in our local communities,” added Anna.

Breast Cancer Now and The Ben Kinsella Trust are Everyone Active’s corporate charities for 2024-25. The leisure operator is aiming to raise more than £50,000 in total for the two causes.

Breast Cancer is the most common cancer in the UK, with one woman being diagnosed every 10 minutes. 55,000 women and 400 men are diagnosed every year, with one in seven women developing breast cancer in their lifetime.

Between March 2023 and March 2024, there were 233 murders involving a knife or sharp object in England and Wales, of which 78 were young people aged under 25. Of these, 10 were under 16 years of age.

To donate to the fundraiser, please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/team/everyoneactivecorporatecharity