Run the London Marathon for T&T!
Based in Rotherhithe in South East London, Time & Talents provides vital support and social connection to local children, families and older adults.
We offer a wide range of services and programmes; from befriending and social support for severely isolated older people, to groups for stroke survivors and dementia sufferers, and kids’ holiday hunger clubs.
To raise essential funds for our work, every year we have a brilliant team of runners participate in the London Marathon, with a sponsorship target of £1,500 each. Our guaranteed annual places in the race give us a unique opportunity to raise much-needed core funds – all of which go directly into our community programmes.
T&T is based close to the start of Mile 12, so Marathon Day is always a special occasion! By joining our London Marathon team, you’ll be running through the community where we do our work, right by the people, young and old, who will benefit from the money you raise.
Chances are that somebody cheering you on will be a part of the T&T family: perhaps a widowed man who has made new friends at our Pub Club; a volunteer who brightens the days of a lonely older person through our volunteer Befriending programme; or a family who has been able to put food on the table because of our holiday hunger clubs.
Our runners always tell us that the cheers and smiles of supporters at T&T give them such a boost as they near the halfway mark, helping them power through those challenging stretches! And this, at root, is what we’re all about: building and sustaining a community where people feel supported, included, and cheered on every step of the way.
Why run for Time & Talents?
We are a deep-rooted local charity – we’ve been supporting people from all walks of life in Rotherhithe and Bermondsey for 136 years. With your help, we can keep being the much-loved and much-needed hub that our community relies on us to be. We spend every pound our Marathon team raises on fighting the profound isolation experienced by so many older people, and supporting kids and families bearing the brunt of a decade of harsh government cuts and heavily reduced public services. By signing up to be a T&T Marathon runner, you will make a direct, significant difference to the lives of people in our community, helping them be safer, happier and more connected.
What we do:
- Our volunteer befriending service provides extremely isolated, housebound older adults with crucial support. Carefully matched and trained volunteers make regular telephone or in-person calls, to check in, be a listening ear, and offer desperately needed contact.
- We provide critical (and free) support for children and families, including through our Holiday Hunger Clubs, which feed disadvantaged local kids during school holidays, while giving them the chance to make friends and have fun. Our Little Bugs Nature Club lets under-5s get muddy and creative in our gardens, and Crafty Beasts gives little ones the opportunity and materials to draw, paint and create.
- Our social contact groups offer vital connection and company for lonely older adults. Our Stroke Club, Visually Impaired Group, Memory Club (for dementia sufferers) and Carers Group provide specialist support for the people who most need it.
- We deliver projects that connect older men at risk of isolation and poor health, while boosting their confidence and helping them keep active; such as the Rotherhithe Shed, Men’s Walking Group, and Pub Club.
The money you raise is vital, and allows us to keep doing our essential work. £1500 pays for:
- One day a week for a year of minibus transport, bringing isolated older people together for vital social contact;
- Three months’ worth of materials for our kids’ gardening project, Little Bugs Nature Club;
- Ten of our regular ‘Pub Clubs’ for older men, many of whom have grown depressed and lonely since their partner died;
- Four older people to receive one-to-one befriending for a year, and practical and emotional support to get back on their feet after being unwell;
- Food and activities for disadvantaged children (and their families) throughout the half-term break, through our holiday hunger clubs.
What we offer our runners:
- Guaranteed Gold Bond places
- Fundraising and training advice and support
- Your own fundraising page on the JustGiving website
- A Time & Talents running vest
- A pitstop on marathon day near the start of mile 12, with lots of supporters cheering you on
- The opportunity to become part of the T&T family of volunteers
All you have to do to run for us is agree to raise at least £1,500 in sponsorship donations to Time & Talents! This money makes a huge difference to our ability to continue our crucial work – at a time when our community needs it more than ever.