A housebuilder has donated £500 towards a Reading running club’s annual charity fundraising efforts.
Vistry Thames Valley has given the money to Reading Roadrunners, who staged the Shinfield 10k on Bank Holiday Monday 2 May.
The running club, which is based at the Palmer Park Stadium in Reading, has about 500 members aged between 18 and 90.
The club stages a number of fundraising events through the year, including the Shinfield 10k, which attracts about 600 runners to the village.
The race was first staged in 1985 when it was called the Shinfield Fun Run.
Colin Cottell, Shinfield 10K race director, said: “Every year Reading Roadrunners receive requests from local charities looking for support and votes on which one they are going to support for the next 12 months. This year, Herbie Hedgehog Rescue, which is based in Lower Earley in Reading, was chosen as the club’s nominated charity for the year from 2022 to 2023. They do great work in taking in sick and injured hedgehogs then caring for them before releasing them back into the wild.
“The £500 that Vistry Thames Valley has kindly donated will give us a massive boost towards the final total that we will hand over to Herbie Hedgehog Rescue at the end of the year. The Shinfield 10k is very much a community-based event which sees local volunteers putting up signs, scouts manning water stations and schoolchildren cheering on the route to encourage and support the runners.
“It was good to be able to hold the race this year after having had to cancel it in 2020 and 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.”
Vistry Thames Valley is part of Vistry Group, which includes Bovis Homes, Linden Homes and Vistry Partnerships.
Alix Laflin, marketing manager at Vistry Thames Valley, said: “We are based in Reading and take our social responsibilities extremely seriously. We pride ourselves on being a company that not only builds new neighbourhoods but also plays an active role in getting involved to the benefit of local communities.
“When Reading Roadrunners approached us for a donation we were more than happy to support them. The club is a long-established organisation which provides a place where hundreds of people of all ages and abilities can go to exercise and meet friends.
“We are particularly pleased that our donation will help to support the club’s chosen charity Herbie Hedgehog Rescue and the valuable work they do in helping to protect and care for these beloved and vulnerable animals.”
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Contact: press.office@vistrygroup.co.uk
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