The Rainy Day Trust, like so many charities across the UK, has been hugely impacted by the cancellation of thousands of fundraising events due to Covid-19. In response, the organisers of the biggest mass participation sports events across the country have come together to create a new campaign to raise vital funds to help our fundraising and save the UK’s charities.
The campaign, The 2.6 Challenge, will launch on Sunday 26 April – what should have been the date of the 40th edition of the London Marathon, the world’s biggest one day annual fundraising event, which raised £66.4 million for charities in 2019.
From Sunday 26 April, we’re asking you to dream up an activity based around the numbers 2.6 or 26 and fundraise by creating a 2.6 Challenge fundraising page or donate to The Rainy Day Trust on Just Giving via twopointsixchallenge.co.uk
The challenge lasts for five days and is open to anyone of any age – the only requirement is that the activity must follow the Government guidelines on exercise and social distancing.
“The 2.6 Challenge can be anything that works for you,” says Nick Rusling, Co-Chair of the Mass Participation Sports Organisers group (MSO) and CEO of Human Race. “You can run or walk 2.6 miles, 2.6km or for 26 minutes. You could do the same in your home or garden, go up and down the stairs 26 times, juggle for 2.6 minutes, do a 26 minute exercise class or get 26 people on a video call and do a 26 minute workout – anything you like. We want people to get active, have fun and raise money to help Save the UK’s Charities by giving money or raising funds for the charity close to your heart.”
“For many of the UK’s charities, the day of the London Marathon is the biggest fundraising day of the year,” said Hugh Brasher, Co-Chair of MSO and Event Director of London Marathon Events. “One of the founding pillars of the London Marathon was ‘to show how the family of mankind can be united’. We hope that The 2.6 Challenge, which starts on the day our 40th Race should have taken place, will embody that spirit and inspire people, families and communities to fundraise for their chosen charity to help Save the UK’s Charities. Right now, our vulnerable members of society need the help of charities more than ever before. We are asking everyone to create a 2.6 Challenge of their own and raise funds or pledge a donation.”
Bryan Clover, charity CEO says “This is a fantastic opportunity for everyone to get involved and do something to help keep the Rainy Day Trust alive. Even the smallest event will help, and ensure that we can keep on helping your colleagues.
As an additional benefit we will receive a proportion of a central pot of money that is raised by the platforms of Virgin Money Giving and Just Giving themselves, so the more we raise, the more additional money we will receive, but ONLY for the money raised through these two platforms, not Facebook, Paypal Giving or Gofundme. So, we could effectively double whatever you raise. The link to set up your own event is: https://twopointsixchallenge.justgiving.com/fundraise and if you’re looking for inspiration on what challenge to do you can find that here https://twopointsixchallenge.justgiving.com/inspiration”
The mass-participation events organisers behind #thetwopointsixchallenge are: Human Race, parkrun, The Great Run Company, Run 4 Wales, Grounded Events, London Landmarks, Virgin Sport, Limelight Sports, Threshold Sports, Running High and London Marathon Events. The design and website has been created by Studio Republic and the social media campaign by LiveWire Sport. Both agencies are working pro bono.
The campaign is supported by the Charities Aid Foundation, the Institute of Fundraising, the Small Charities Coalition, the Office for Civil Society, Sport England, Let’s Do This, Virgin Money Giving and JustGiving.
For more information on The 2.6 Challenge, visit twopointsixchallenge.co.uk
