Club Charity -
Air Ambulances UK
In 2024 the chosen club charity for AVTC will be Air Ambulances UK. It is the 4th year of association with this amazing organisation which represents, supports and advocates the lifesaving work of the UK’s 21 air ambulance charities and wider air ambulance sector. This charity was very close to the heart of Simon Chesher, a club member who sadly died in a bike accident in 2020.
If you are participating in an event or challenge in 2024 and considering raising money for charity in the process then please consider Air Ambulances UK. There is a specific Just Giving Page where you can direct donations and if you have any further questions or suggestions for fundraising then please contact this year’s Charity Officer, Ben Knott
PREVIOUS AVTC SUPPORT
In 2017 it was decided to introduce a club charity which members could support. Macmillan Cancer Support was the inaugural charity that was chosen in 2018 and then in 2019 and 2020, we supported Mind, the mental health charity. 2021 saw the club switch fundraising efforts to Air Ambulances UK.
Air Ambulances UK 2021-present
Following the tragic death of club member Simon Chesher in 2020 the club decided to support a charity which was close to his heart, Air Ambulances UK. Covid-19 continued to present plenty of challenges to training, racing and indeed socialising in 2021 but through various efforts the club still raised over £500.
2001 started with TED January, a variation on RED January which club members took part in back in 2020. The aim of Triathlon Every Day was to log the distances of an Ironman and as finding somewhere to swim was a bit of a challenge we allowed S&C to contribute. Another big contributor to the final fundraising total in 2021 was Liz Fraser’s London Marathon effort, pulling in almost £200.
In 2022 the club continued its support of AAUK and through various initiatives raised over £1600. Raffles through the year for race entries and other excellent prizes and then a bumper Xmas raffle raised over £500. Thanks to generous sponsorship from the Crown & Thistle Pub and Revolution Sports Injuries Clinic we were able to provide all members with sustainable running t-shirts in club colours, with donations for those shirts making up a big chunk of our total. Javier Prieto also kindly chose AAUK as his charity for fundraising for his Mallorca 140.6 race, well done Javi!
2023 was the third year of AVTC support for AAUK and once again we reached our fundraising target! The Xmas Raffle got us over the line of £1000, another great achievement. Micol Marchetti was in charge of operations and organised various events, including a charity spin night, raffles and other fun ways of raising money.
Previous Charity Fundraising
MIND Oxfordshire – 2019-2020
Several different activities were organised throughout 2020 to raise money and also to encourage physical activity as a valuable way of contributing to mental health. This started with RED January, a community initiative in partnership with Oxfordshire Mind which encourages you to support your mental health by doing something active every day during this tough month. The club supported RED January by opening up some training sessions to non-club members, and also raised £185 via participation.
Covid-19 scuppered plenty of plans in 2020, however, through virtual challenges, we still raised a remarkable £950. Over £500 came in from Andy Male’s great achievement of ‘Cycling up Everest’ and a virtual duathlon also raised £50.
In our first year of support for MIND the club raised over £600, with events including RED January, a Summer BBQ, a quiz and individual efforts as well. Clare Robinson contributed an amazing £280 to the kitty through her own endeavours.
Macmillan Cancer Support - 2017-2018
At the 2017 AGM, the club decided to introduce a ‘club charity’ that members could support through their triathlon activities. Macmillan Cancer Support was chosen as it was a charity that club member Lorraine Keelan had chosen to support during her cancer treatment. Sadly Lorraine passed away at the beginning of 2018. The club had already lost Ailsa Sparkes to cancer and it is with great pride that we can remember our members through raising money for their chosen charity.
During the year, club members organised and took part in five events: the Macmillan Cheltenham All Out Swim (2km and 5km), an archery afternoon with Lorraine, club members and friends, the London Landmarks Half Marathon, the London Marathon and the Club Charity Run at Berinsfield. A total of £4,705 was raised in what was an amazing start to the club’s charity work.
