The Bridge Launches The Staff Santathlon Christmas Campaign!

The Bridge celebrates the launch of it's 2020 Christmas Campaign today, as staff members are challenged to complete the 'Staff Santathlon'.

The Santathlon, which begins today and ends on Christday Day, will see The Bridge collectively cover the equivalent distance of Land's End to John O'Groats: an astonishing 1,047km!

By walking, running, cycling and swimming, the team will work together to reach their daunting distance target.

All exercise efforts will be tracked using Apps and smart watches, with regular updates being posted to Christmas Campain's JustGiving Page, so that donors can keep up-to-date with the teams' collective progress.

Able to donate via the JustGiving page, it is hoped that supporters will raise £1,407 in line with the 1,407 kilometer distance.

Having smashed through their 25th Anniversary target of £25,000 earlier in the year, The Bridge hope that this Christmas Campaign will tip them over their newly doubled target of £50,000 for 2020. 

The Bridge's Communications and Fundraising Manager, Jess Metson, said:

"This Santathlon is a really fun way for us to give a little back; it is a nod of recognition to the incredible fundraising efforts that the community have already demonstrated throughout the year. We thought it was time for us to step up to the challenge! 

"This Christmas, housing crisis and poverty is a reality for growing numbers of local people. On-going causes, such as domestic violence, familial breakdown or financial difficulty, are still the cause of suffering for so many. 

"However, this year, more families and individuals than ever are facing the consequence of redundancy, furlough, isolation, ill-health and economic crisis. This is demonstrated in our 2020 statistics, which show the stark reality of just how many people are in need of support."

The Bridge has seen a 75% increase in enquiries to its services this year, in comparison to 2019. Working with partner agencies such as John Storer House and Charnwood Borough Council, it has also helped the establishment and running of Charnwood Community Action's food parcel project, which has distributed over 16,000 food parcels since March.

Jess continued:

"We know that this year is incredibly tight for many of us. But, little or large, every donation you provide towards our Staff Santathlon will go towards changing the lives of local people facing homelessness, housing crisis and financial difficulty.

"Thank you again for your fantastic, ongoing support throughout this strange year; we hope that you will sponsor our Santathlon ordeal and, if you are interested in hosting your own Santathlon, please do not hesitate to get in touch."

Want to support the team? Sponsor them today and help fight homelessness this winter.