This month, our Managing Director Katy and our North West Director Kash took on their first half marathons in aid of charity – and they both smashed it!

With both running for fantastic charities and surpassing their fundraising targets, we couldn’t be prouder.

Katy’s Half Marathon for the Hall Green Retired Greyhound Trust

On Sunday 21^st May, Smile’s Managing Director Katy completed the Worcester Half Marathon. It’s the first time Katy has completed an official half marathon event, and with such a fantastic cause to run for, it’s an achievement to be proud of.

Katy is a volunteer at the Hall Green Greyhound Trust, and has been working at the Broadmarsh kennels as well as walking the greyhounds for over 2 and a half years. Spending time with the greyhounds is a rewarding experience for her, meaning she wanted to support them in any way she could. So far, she’s raised over £1,000 for the charity!

Upon finishing the run, Katy said “the lump in my throat when I saw the thirteen mile sign reminded me of the importance of challenging yourself and the joy in doing so.

I have always thought myself as not a natural runner (a consistent member of bottom set PE at school) but I have learned to only compete with myself and that consistency is key, running in the dark, snow, rain and sun”.

The Hall Green Greyhound Trust find loving homes for retired racing greyhounds across the Midlands and beyond. They believe that every greyhound deserves to be loved, and want them to enjoy their retirement to the absolute fullest. The Trust is run entirely by volunteers, so every donation is essential to the day-to-day care of these beautiful animals.

Steve White, Chair of the Hall Green Greyhound Trust, said "like many homing centres for animals across the UK and other smaller charities, the last 12 months have been a real challenge. The cost-of-living crisis, coupled with rising utility costs have really impacted all charities financially. Many people have had to tighten their belts to manage their own responsibilities and family demands.

Fundraising is crucial and now is really a lifeline for us, all monies raised goes directly to the costs of looking after our greyhounds.

I can’t thank Katy Rees enough for taking on this challenge and raising funds for us, she has raised an amazing £1,105! There is still the opportunity to support Katy in her fundraising challenge and support our greyhounds. So, a big thank you Katy for all you do for our greyhounds, for your volunteer shifts at our kennels and your recent marathon achievement – well done.

If anyone would like to donate to this cause please click the link below." 

If you’re able to spare some change or spread the word, please visit Katy’s JustGiving page.

Kash’s Half Marathon for Marie Curie

Kash ran the Great Manchester Run (which has recently celebrated its 20th anniversary!) in aid of Marie Curie, who are the UK’s leading end of life charity.

Running under blazing sunshine in the city was no easy feat, but Kash completed his half marathon and smashed his target of £500 for the charity. Kash is passionate about supporting Marie Curie, and wanted to do his bit to help them provide support to those deserving dignified end of life care.

Kash has already signed up to his next half marathon, so we’ll be sure to post more updates soon!

Marie Curie support patients by providing hands-on nursing and hospice care, a free support line and a wealth of information and support on all aspects of dying, death and bereavement. They also conduct leading research, and launch campaigns that help fight for a world where everyone gets the best quality of life while living with an illness they’re likely to die from.

If you’d like to donate to this fantastic cause, visit Kash’s fundraising page.

Our Charity and Community Work

We’re proud to support local and national charities at Smile Education, and we’re passionate about giving back to our community.

Take a look at some of the ways we’ve fundraised for various charities over the years.

Don’t forget to keep an eye out for all of our fundraising updates on our Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn!