The Southworth brothers have raised over £1,000 for charity, well in excess of their original goal, by running the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon in honour of their late mum.
L-R: James and Nat Southworth following their completion of the Rob Burrows Leeds Marathon
The team at KAP Toys has long held the view that charitable activity is a personal thing, and as a company it aims to support the choice of fundraising its colleagues make. Ordinarily, MD Nat Southworth would pitch to the team the fundraising challenges of the Toy Trust and/or Fence Club, but in December 2022, after a short fight against cancer, Nat and his brother James’ mum unexpectedly passed away.
Nat says: “Mum knew James and I were signed up to take part in the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon, which took place in May 2023. She told us we were both mad! After she passed away, we decided we would run it in her memory and raise funds for the RNLI, the Rob Burrow centre for MND and the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.”
A fuller explanation of Nat and James’ charity choices, and more about their beloved mum, can be found here.
The pair describe the day of the marathon itself as ‘incredibly emotional’. Their original total target was £900. However, the brothers have been blown away by the support they’ve received, which means that, with matched giving from KAP Toys, they’re now able to split a combined total of £2,000 with the three selected charities.
James Southworth commented: “I’d never run more than a 10k before so I know why Mum thought I was mad. But I did it, and whilst I hated the hill in Otley at the 17 mile mark, it was an unbelievable experience. We’re planning to do another one, but this time we’re going to do some more training. Thank you on behalf of all the charities, and our family, for all the donations and support.”
Nat and James would like to thank everyone across the spectrum of the toy industry who donated and sent them ‘incredible messages of support’.
The donation page is still open, so readers who wish to can increase the total even more.
