We’re proud to support Kate’s running challenge for Greenfingers Charity

Earlier this week, two of our team members joined a runner who is running every day to raise money for charity.

Our Commercial Director, Sharon McNair and Head of Finance, Katie Young, joined Kate Ebbens for a 5k run to celebrate the group’s support for the Greenfingers charity which is dedicated to supporting life-limited children.

Kate has pledged to run every day throughout 2024 and aims to raise £20,000 for the charity which creates beautiful, well-designed outdoor spaces for children in hospices to enjoy with family, friends and siblings.

Speaking about her ambitious challenge, Kate said: “Every single day, no matter the weather or mood, I will put on my running shoes and will tackle a run whether home or abroad. Over the last seven months, I have raised over £14,000 and run 900 km in every weather condition imaginable.

“To keep morale high and to ensure that I keep putting one foot in front of the other, 12 garden centres and suppliers have kindly sponsored me each month. I’m very grateful to the team at Yorkshire Garden Centres for sponsoring me for August and to Sharon and Katie for joining me on my Otley run in such scenic surroundings. Thank you for helping me to make a difference to life-limited children.”

“We are proud to support Kate’s challenge to raise money for Greenfingers and were delighted that she could come from her home in Saffron Walden to run from Otley Garden Centre. It was great to run with her and hear all about her plans for the rest of the year,” said Sharon.

Greenfingers is a national charity that supports life-limited children and their families who spend time in hospices around the UK. It is driven by the belief that time spent outdoors, away from the bedside, can offer children and families under considerable stress a vital opportunity to embrace the benefits of being in the fresh air and engaging with the natural environment. It has created over 60 inspiring gardens in children’s hospices around the country and has a further waiting list of hospices that need help.

Photograph caption: Matt Rowlandson, Sharon McNair, Karl Jones, Kate Ebbens, Katie Young and Molly Shackleton