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Great Bristol Mums……running for families in Bristol!

Are you looking for a new challenge?  New Year's resolutions fallen by the wayside?

Then why not dust off your trainers, unleash your inner athlete (it’s somewhere in there!), and join the Baby Bank Network Team for this year’s Great Bristol Run on Sunday 19 May!

Join Becky Gilbert (our CEO), Morena Staiano (Trustee) and Cath Macleod (ex-trustee and supporter) who are taking on the 10k to raise funds for Baby Bank Network Bristol this year.

You can choose from 10k, half marathon or get your kids involved and join the family run.  

We are looking for individuals and families to join Becky, Morena and Cath and build our team to raise much needed funds, whilst getting fit, staying healthy, having fun and being part of a supportive team.  Whether you’re a seasoned runner or a total beginner we would love you to join us!

We asked Becky, Morena and Cath why they’ve taken on the challenge and why you should join them…

 

Meet Becky (CEO)

Becky out training in the snow!

Earlier this year Becky became our first ever CEO, after co-founding Baby Bank Network Bristol in 2015 and being on the board of trustees since.  Having always thought she should give the Great Bristol Run a go but never quite making it, her new role as CEO was the catalyst to making it happen, and gave her a goal to train that she couldn’t get out of!

As mother to an 11 year old and a 9 year old, Becky hasn’t run regularly since having children.  Since signing-up she’s been using the Couch to 5k App designed for those new to running, and getting out twice a week (she’s struggled to fit in the recommended three runs a week so is doing what she can), and has been taking the dog with her on runs!

Becky is most excited about getting over the finish line as it could be the first 10k she completes!  She’s running 6k weekly, so now 10k feels attainable by 19 May.  Becky says her “biggest challenge was starting to run, and now it’s finding time to push that extra bit and get to 10k.” Her target is just to finish the race and feel like she’s done the best she can, running the whole way would be fantastic!

Becky says people should join our team because “all the funds we raise will help us to support more families in Bristol. You’ll be joining a group of lovely people (mostly parents) doing something fun and good together.  We’re all supportive of each other whatever your previous experience, and individual goals for the run – we’re not ultra-competitive.”

Someone recently said to Becky “winter miles bring summer smiles”, and she’s been clinging onto that thought while running in the rain, snow and sometimes dark over the past few months!

 

Meet Morena (trustee)

Morena mid-run while on half-term holiday in the sun.

A mother of three, Morena started volunteering with Baby Bank Network Bristol in the early days, and has been a Trustee for over 4 years.  This is the third time she has run the 10k to fundraise for us, and we are delighted she’s on the team again!  

Despite saying she “doesn’t really enjoy running and is not a natural runner”, she said “running in the Great Bristol Run for Baby Bank Network is fun!”  Morena is much more keen on running in the sunshine, but is keeping up her training even in the rain and cold.

We asked Morena why she is running again and why people should join her…

“At Baby Bank Network we rely on the kindness of people who want to help their community and support families in need. It hurts me to think we have 1 in 5 children in Bristol living in poverty (and 1 in 4 in some areas).  Together we can do something about it!   We need donations of baby items and funds to keep our service running, and I really hope we can repeat the success of our team last year who raised over £1600!   With your support we can do it! Please do join us or support by sponsoring our team and helping motivate us all over the finish line!”

 

Meet Cath (ex-Trustee and supporter)

Cath before her first Parkrun as part of her preparations for the Great Bristol Run.

Cath has been a supporter of Baby Bank Network Bristol since 2020 when she joined as our Trustee Treasurer.  When she stepped down from that role last year, she decided to continue her support by joining our Great Bristol Run team – thank you Cath!

This is the second time Cath has entered the Great Bristol Run, taking on the 10k, with her previous attempt being over 10 years ago and “before kids”, so she says she certainly feels very out of practice.

With about three months to go until race day, she decided to try her local Parkrun at Severn Bridge to get a few steps in. Cath was surprised to find that she was still able to jog the whole 5km from start to finish and said “everyone was so friendly to solo runners so don’t be put off if you are a newbie!”  Now Cath is hoping to build on this in small increments until the big day.

We asked Cath if she has set herself any targets for the run and she said:

“I would love to raise £500 for Baby Bank Network Bristol, and I hope my employer will be generous enough to match any donations which would be fantastic!”

Want to join our or sponsor our team?

 

If you’re interested in joining or sponsoring our team to raise vital funds helping families in Bristol who are experiencing poverty or crisis, please visit our JustGiving page.  

To sign-up and join our team please complete our short sign-up form after securing your place via the Great Bristol Run website (as a small charity unfortunately we are not able to cover the costs of entry at this stage).

We don’t ask runners to sign-up to raise a set amount.  We encourage everyone to aim for around £200 if they can, but whatever you raise is gratefully received!

After signing-up to join our team we will be in touch with lots of useful pre-event information, how to fundraise, on the day plans and how to join our team WhatsApp group and chat with others in the Baby Bank Network Bristol team.

Contact Sian at events@babybanknetwork.com with queries.