Dementia is the biggest health and social challenge of our time. There are currently estimated to be 900,000 people in the UK with dementia, and that 1 in 3 people born in the UK today will be diagnosed with dementia in their lifetime. Many of our staff have direct experience of the pain and heartache that results from family members and friends receiving a dementia diagnosis so it was only fitting that we chose to support the Alzheimer’s Society as one of our charities for the year.
With this in mind, we put together a team of willing participants, the ‘TIAA Trail Blazers’ to take part in the Great South Run, a 10 mile route through Portsmouth, on Sunday 20th October. Experience varied – some were seasoned runners and others just wanted to set themselves a challenge – all wanted to raise money for this important charity.
We also enlisted a support group of fellow staff to cheer us round the course, complete with chants and motivational posters (and sugary snacks for the end!)!
The team had 6 months to reach peak fitness and started training for the event (some more than others!). Over the months, they shared their running achievements, training tips and gave each other encouragement right up to race day.
Unfortunately, due to the awful weather as a result of Storm Ashley, the Great South Run was cancelled for the first time in its history, meaning our team of runners were unable to participate in the event as planned.
However, this didn’t dampen their spirits! Unperturbed, our dedicated runners still completed the 10-mile run on their own, some on the day and others in the following weeks.
Despite the setback, we raised an incredible £1300, smashing our target!
This was matched by the TIAA charitable fund, giving a final total of £2600!
We are thrilled that we have been able to help such a worthwhile charity, and would like to thank everyone involved for their support and generosity.
