Charity supporting people facing homelessness and poverty gets £1,000 boost thanks to trio of Wigan 10k runners

Karen Cheetham, 42, John O’Grady, 51, and Emma Shaw joined forces to raise as much money as possible for The Brick.

Karen, who works as a healthy relationships co-ordinator for Wigan Council, said: “I only started running this year and following a successful Wigan 5k, I decided to push myself even further by taking on the Wigan 10k. John is a regular runner, so he helped with my training which included swimming, attending the gym and, of course, lots of running.

“The atmosphere on the day was great and the support from spectators along the way helped spur me on. There was a real sense of community spirit between the runners and spectators, and I will definitely be taking part next year.”

With unprecedented challenges ahead for The Brick due to the cost-of-living crisis, it is welcoming fund-raising efforts from the community now more than ever before.

Emma, a volunteer co-ordinator for the charity, said: “Working for The Brick, I see every day how our services and the support we provide is so essential for the most vulnerable people in our community. I wanted to take on the 10k myself to try to raise as much money as I could for The Brick.

“It was a tough run, but the day as a whole was extremely rewarding, knowing I had lots of sponsors and supporters. I felt so happy to cross the finish line and we are thrilled to have raised nearly £1k between us.”

Karen added: “During my time at Wigan Council, I have worked with The Brick for a number of years and I have witnessed first-hand the support the charity provides for families in poverty. I wanted to take this opportunity to raise money for The Brick to show my thanks and appreciation for all their support over the years.

“I would also like to thank everyone who has donated so far, all their support is much appreciated, but above all, I would like to thank The Brick for all they do, especially at this difficult time.”

Support The Brick by donating to Karen’s fund-raising page at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Karen-Cheetham3