Meet the amazing fundraisers going the social distance for Haven House.

From cycling a massive 300km, to completing a total of 468 kick ups and flossing and moon walking  for a staggering 52 minutes - our incredible supporters have found inventive ways to achieve extreme feats for Haven House under lockdown. 

An incredible 64 children and adults ran, cycled, danced, bounced, baked and walked (to name a few) their way to completing the 2.6 Challenge raising an incredible £19,738 for our charity.  

It has been named the 2.6 challenge because of 26 being the number of miles in a marathon, and also the date the event in London would have taken place was 26 April. Participants chose a challenge related to the numbers 2.6 or 26.  

Below are just some of the remarkably varied ideas that people came up with.

Tour de Lounge 

Claire Wheatman and Kevin Lalley decided to cycle and run for 12 hours straight in the comfort of their flat accumulating in a massive 262km and reaching 2,620m of altitude – symbolising the 26.2 miles of the marathon. As if that wasn’t enough, every hour whoever was not cycling or running was required to complete 26 different exercises. The pair have raised £1,650. 
  

Kilomathon around the block 
Paula Fairlamb completed 26.2km – some 32.5 running laps around her neighbourhood. Paula lives at the top of a hill so the route was particularly challenging but there was no stopping her! Run Paula Run! 

Lycra pants on and off he goes

Cyclist Stephen Jones picked one of the steepest hills in North London to complete his 2.6 challenge. Donning his favourite lycra shorts Stephen cycled the length and breadth of Hampstead Way a total of 26 times. Ouch! 

Grandparents can do it too! 

The 2.6 challenge was a family affair for the Williams. Tom, 10, ran 2.6 miles around the block, Ed, 7,  made Lego for 2 hours and 6 mins (and more), mum Jo hula hooped for 26 minutes and they then all made 26 chocolate crispy cakes! While the grandparents walked up 26 flights of stairs, completed 2.6 miles around their balcony and took 26 photos of Bluebells on their daily walk. 

    

Keep It Up 

The West Essex Under 13 squad turned their love of football into a 2.6 kick up challenge completing 26 keepy uppies each. The club, who have been long-term supporters of Haven House, have rallied to support their local children’s hospice since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. A collection between the club’s family and friends and the boys’ efforts from the 2.6 challenge has raised an amazing £3,800. 

Volunteers spring into action

Our volunteers are always amazing in responding to a call for support – and now more than ever. After hearing our request asking for 2.6 participants two of our long-serving volunteers  Dave Smith and Loraine Midda sprung into action to complete their own challenges. Dave decided he would complete a gruelling fitness session consisting of 26 different exercises (26 reps of each). The exhaustive list included; squats, burpees, press ups, tuck jumps, lunges….and star jumps. (We are tired just writing it!) Go Dave!

Loraine, a mindfulness coach, is completing a 26 day marathon consisting of 26 mindfulness and meditation sessions – each lasting for 26minutes. The sessions are open to all, via Zoom, in return for a donation to Haven House. If you are interested in joining please contact [email protected]. 

1,2,3,4,5,6,…….26 activities in one day 

Brother and sister duo Jasmia and Arjan and six-year-old Luca set themselves the strenuous task of working through a list of 26 activities in one day. The youngsters were inspired to fundraise for Haven House as their mums work at the hospice and often hear about how the charity cares for children and their families. Tasks on their lists included; running 26 laps of their gardens, 2.6minutes of dribbling a ball, 2.6mins of hopping, 26 sit-ups, 26 squats, 26 minutes of playing the piano, 26 spellings, 26 maths questions, 2.6km of running and dancing for 26 minutes…..the list goes on. Luca also managed a mammoth 26km bike ride. The little fella has raised £2,250 after rallying and friends, families and neighbours to support him. 

It’s a knock-out! 

Ex-boxer Michael Barratt decided he would use the 2.6 challenge to kick-start his weight loss journey. He decided to do a 26-minute circuit made up of 4 x 2minute rounds of skipping, 4 x 2minute rounds of shadow sparring and 5 x 2 minute rounds on the boxing bag.

Super Seven 

Seven local families completed a series of fitness and wellbeing inspired challenges. The teams, all of whom live within a few miles of the hospice, were made up of 12 friends who met at St Aubyn's School, their parents and siblings – with the youngest participant being just 2 years old. The Super Seven had set themselves the ambitious target of raising over £3,000. They have surpassed this by reaching a staggering £4,400. Mum Katie, who was part of Team Hayes alongside husband Ben and sons Jasper and Leo, said: “Thanks to everyone that supported us in our challenge for Haven House - together we have raised over £4000 which has put a massive spring in our step. At such a difficult time, it’s been both humbling and heart -warming to see such kindness from our friends, family and school community.” Read more here.