How your weekend run can save the planet AND raise money for charity

There’s nothing more satisfying than turning a regular run into something more special, and this one is a 2-4-1 deal. You’ve probably already heard of One Running Movement: they organise events hoping to drive change in a whole host of areas, from sustainability to mental health.

Their latest initiative is The Tree Run, in collaboration with Planet-U Energy, which is a virtual event taking place this weekend (April 25th) with two goals in mind: planting trees and raising money for the NHS.

There’s no set distance to run – each participant chooses a distance commitment for themselves when they sign up, and just has to complete that distance on or by the 25th April. For each runner, a tree will be planted by Planet-U Energy in a woodland nature reserve in Yorkshire, along with a biodegradable plaque featuring their name or a dedication to a friend or a loved one. You’ll also receive a photo of your tree in a year, to check on how it’s doing.

Entries cost £12, with £2 of that going to the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust Charity. The charity funds projects and initiatives that fall outside of standard NHS provision to enhance care and improve patient, visitor and staff experience. The money raised from The Tree Run will be used to fund staff wellbeing initiatives, such as dedicated emotional support for frontline staff, which is particularly important during the pandemic.

One Running Movement have gifted places to the charity, with hospital staff members and friends of the charity joining in this weekend. “We have sadly lost a number of colleagues during the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Jo Gennari, General Manager of the Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust. “We will be running in their memory and will dedicated our trees to them.”

If you’d like to join in, registration is open now – click here to find out more and to sign up.