East Sussex College Hastings staff and students complete Half Marathon to raise money for St Michael’s Hospice

Staff and students from East Sussex College Hastings completed the Hastings Half marathon on Sunday 24th March to raise money for St Michael’s Hospice.

A team of 21, made up of 14 members of staff and 5 students, tackled the 13.1-mile course on a surprisingly sunny Sunday morning while being cheered on by supportive colleagues.

The team had been busy collecting sponsorship before the race and managed to raise £1,000 and donations and collections on the day took the amount to £1,080. For many of the team, it was the first time that they had taken part in a long-distance run.

Seasoned half marathon runner and Health and Social Care tutor at the college, Jake Wilkinson, was impressed with the effort and determination of his fellow runners.

“A massive well done to everyone for their half marathon efforts on Sunday,” said Jake. “We were blessed with beautiful, if slightly warm, weather, and the sun shone on lots of people’s performances too.”

“The bulk of the congratulations must go to the people who did their first half marathon, as the psychological challenge of overcoming that distance is almost as huge as the physical challenge.”

“These guys tackled a half marathon renowned for its difficult terrain and unpredictable weather. These were the people who pushed themselves hardest, and congratulations to all of them for completing a distance that many people wouldn’t dare to tackle!”

Karen Honey, Fundraising Coordinator at East Sussex College Hastings, said: “I’m so proud of the whole team for their amazing effort. We had lots of fantastic support the whole way round which helped to keep us going.”

“We’re still collecting sponsorship, but we’ve managed to raise a fantastic sum of money which was what this gruelling challenge was all about.”

“We’ve been fundraising for St Michael’s Hospice since September and we’re over half way to reaching our £10,000 target. We still have a number of events lined up for the rest of the year including an abseil down the side of the Plaza building.”

Jodie Cornford, Fundraising Manager at St Michael’s Hospice, said: “We would like to thank the fantastic group of runners from East Sussex College Hastings who took on the Hastings Half Marathon this year, in support of the Hospice. The funds raised helps the Hospice to achieve the £12,000 a day which we need to raise from voluntary sources, to continue to provide high quality, palliative care and bereavement support to the local community of Hastings and Rother.”

If you would like to support or donate to the college’s fundraising target, then you can do so at the Just Giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sussexcoastcollegeandstmichaelshospice