Member Article

Jemma’s marathon milestone raises £600 for Forever Stars

Marketing Manager Jemma Taylor-Smith has raised a massive £600 for Nottingham charity Forever Stars after successfully completing her first-ever marathon.

Jemma ran this year’s London Marathon in just under 5 hours, 37 minutes, and through sponsorship from friends and colleagues, smashed her fundraising target for Forever Stars.

She works for specialist leadership and management development training company Awbery based in Repton, which has selected Forever Stars as its charity of the year.

Jemma’s marathon effort is one of Awbery’s fundraising initiatives this year. The firm is also planning a book swap, cake sales and weekly weight loss weigh-ins, to raise money for the charity, which was set-up in 2013 by Richard and Michelle Daniels after their daughter Emily was stillborn.

“The London Marathon was amazing,” said Jemma. “The atmosphere was incredible, and I definitely want to do it again. I am so proud of my personal achievement, but also to have raised £600 for such a superb charity that is so close to my heart, and to have had the chance to take part in such a wonderful event in Emily’s memory.”

Forever Stars has already raised £100k of funding for a specialist bereavement suite for families affected by stillbirth, at Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre, where staff cared for them when Emily was born.

The charity’s Richard and Michelle, close friends of Jemma’s, said: “We are immensely proud of Jemma for running and finishing the London Marathon, and so grateful for all the fundraising our friends and supporters do in support of the charity.

“It is fantastic that we have already reached our first fundraising target and that the bereavement centre is now open. However, the charity’s work doesn’t stop here, and with the help of Awbery, Jemma and our army of supporters, we embark on the next phase of the charity’s fundraising, which is hoped will provide further support for the new suite to purchase additional equipment and supplies, as well as fund the development of other suites across Nottingham and the East Midlands.”

Jemma took part in the London Marathon alongside her husband Simon, supported by her three children, family, friends and colleagues from Awbery.

Awbery has its head office in Derbyshire and delivers high-impact leadership and management development programmes, HR and coaching solutions to multi-national organisations across the UK. For more information: www.awberymanagement.co.uk, Tel: 01283 703828, and follow @AwberyTweet .

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Awbery .