Leigh-Ann Little’s Post

Please support Simon undertaking this challenge 👏👇👇👇In aid of RNID #hearing #audpeeps #RNID #hearingimplants #audiology #otology #ent

Is it really a whole week since I set off to London to get ready for my first London Marathon? "How was it?" I've had a few people ask.. It's hard to put into words, but I'll have a go at a few that come to mind: 👟Epic 👟Euphoric 👟Tough 👟Emotional 👟Rewarding The hardest part was the months of training, the build up, the stress of working out how to get to London when there's train strikes. And then there's the packing - I've never packed so much for a weekend away (energy gels, hydration, snacks to name a few items that took up a fair bit of space). It's true what experienced runners told me - the marathon itself is your lap of honour. I can vouch for this - London felt like one big party and whilst I wished the pain towards the end away, the brilliant memories will last a lifetime. The crowd support was spectacular and uplifting. The rewarding bit comes down to smashing my charity target for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. All of the well wishes and donations flooding in as the big day arrived was a great motivator I'm so grateful for every one of them. And so to the next challenge - the Giacom mission to conquer the Keswick 3 Peaks. Can't wait! Just in case you didn't get a moment to sponsor me and would like to, here is my charity link. The Make-A-Wish Foundation make magical dreams come true for kids who are suffering. Such a great cause. https://lnkd.in/ejsSUTYB #londonmarathon #personalchallenge #running #makeawishfoundation #giacom #charitychallenge #greatplacetowork

July Monthly Update- 14,000 steps a day for a year in aid of The Archie Foundation.   Time for my July update already! This will be fairly text heavy update as I don't have many pictures of me out on walks - it's been quite wet during a lot of my walks this month. As always, thanks to those who have donated. Although I'm past my target, I'd love to reach the next step of raising £1000. Link to donate is below as always.   Achievements for this month include going past 3,000,000 steps for the year and going over 400km in the month for only the second time. I have now completed 66% of my target distance and for those keeping track you will find my mapped route below.   To mark the Olympic marathon taking place on the 10th of August, I figured I would categorise my walking in marathons. To date, I have completed 64.8 marathons, just over 9 per month on average and roughly one every 3 1/2 days. So when you ask me how I am and I respond 'knackered' then this is why!   Next milestone will be 3000km! https://lnkd.in/eSC9XujD

As we gear up for our 5th charity ball, reflecting on the journey, we can't help but feel a renewed sense of purpose. This year, we're back stronger than ever. Traditionally, my charity challenges have been marked by rest, sleep-outs for the homeless, and wild adventures supporting organizations like Loros. However, this milestone year called for something extraordinary. Over a few brainstorming sessions with my dream team – the incredible charity cyclist Darren and the marathon man Kevin – we pondered over a challenge that would not only commemorate the occasion but also push our limits. The idea of a triathlon emerged, but seasoned Darren cautioned that it might not attract the attention we seek. Enter Kev, with his wisdom, suggesting a catchy name for the event – and so, the "Fiveathlon" challenge was born. Picture this: 5 half Ironmans 70.3 miles, in 5 diverse locations, spanning 5 consecutive days. It's not just a physical feat but a testament to the power of collaboration. We're not just running for ourselves – we're running for a cause. We are supporting our 3 finalists of charity of the year, STEPS, FOCUS and HEARTWIZE. These worthy charities fuels our motivation. My role in this endeavor? Well, according to my dream team, it's to get in shape – having never swam in open water and carrying a fair few extra pounds there’s some work to do and here's my public commitment to it. By sharing this, I'm hoping it becomes a source of motivation and accountability. But we can't do this alone. We're calling on our network, friends, and colleagues to join us for a leg of this journey and, more importantly, to support us in raising funds for these great charities. Stay tuned for updates from Kev as he navigates the logistics, and feel free to ask me about my training – I'll need all the accountability I can get! Let's make this Fivathlon challenge more than just a physical feat; let's turn it into a testament to the strength of community and the impact we can create together. 🏃♂️🌈 #Fivathlon #CharityRun#CommunityImpact

I personally want to invite my local LinkedIn network to join me at the third annual Saree Run hosted by local non profits Desis of Doylestown and Arva Yoga. You can participate in 1, 2 or 3 different ways 1) Join us for the run 2) Donate towards the fundraisers the run supports ( details in flyer) 3) ask your network to join in the run, donate and asking their networks to join. Don’t let the chain break. Open to all ages, gender, races, identities and abilities. Registration is free. Event is family friendly. Saree encouraged/optional Gently used sarees will be made available on the day of for a small donation. We are thrilled to extend an invitation to the 3rd annual Saree Run, co-hosted by Desis of Doylestown (DOD) and Arva Yoga set to take place on May 19th. Why the Saree Run? The Saree Run embodies the limitless spirit of women. Our grandmothers once walked miles in sarees, driven by dreams of becoming athletes and attaining a quality education. Today, having come a long way in our transformation, we ask: why not make the Saree mainstream, breaking free from limitations? Purpose of the Run: The primary objective of the Saree Run is to raise funds to support girls’ education and other crucial women’s initiatives. Here’s how we aim to achieve this: while the run itself is free for all participants, we encourage each participant to leverage their networks, spread the word, and actively seek donations. In the past two years, with 150 to 200 participants, we successfully raised a total of $25,000. This year, our goal is even more ambitious – aiming to raise an additional $15,000.

If a job’s worth doing, it’s worth doing well….maybe that belief has been self-limiting in my 51 years. The countdown is on to my first (of FOUR) charity challenges! There’s 79 days until I take on the Triathlon on Sunday 28th April 2024! I am 51.  I am diabetic. And…  I like to eat, therefore I am overweight - just saying 😊. Coupled with that I have a (not in any way life threatening) diagnosed breathing difficulty - when my heart rate is elevated. Think of a female body built for running - you know……long legs, lean and muscular with small boobies. Then think of totally the opposite. And you have me! Most definitely not built for running! Probably more limiting than that though - I have always told myself I can’t run. That’s my challenge! Nonetheless, I’ve decided not only am I going to Run…  I’m going to Swim and Cycle as well! Why not? Surely the run itself, is well worth a donation! Go visit my Just Giving page to help get me started on my fundraising journey for The Myton Hospices! Click here to show your support: https://lnkd.in/d5F-pYAu Look out for my training updates (lunchtime runs, PT sessions are incoming…!)    And remember, to help me to reach my target - if you’ve got staff who require First Aid Training, and you are within a 20-mile radius of Rugby or prepared to pay my expenses, I will deliver a fully certificated 1 day course in exchange for donations to The Myton Hospices.  This course is valued at £80-£100 per person trained.  There’s no minimum donation but all I ask is that you give generously to this worthy cause! #fundraisingtarget #securityservices #stonewallsecurity #securitys111 #rugbybusiness #givingback Stonewall Group Ltd #mytontriathlon #landsend #johnogroats #125ccscooter #santadash #freefirstaidcourse #clarestriathaloncountdown 

The best thing about donating to a charitable cause is that.... you donate and make a difference. Sometimes you may think that if I do not donate X amount, it's not worth it or what will people think. On the other hand, in times like the present one, where a large section of the population in most parts of the world, is bearing the burnt of constantly high prices, one may feel the need to not spend much on anything that is perceived to be necessary. Well, in times like these the charitable causes need our support the most. And guess what, every #donation, no matter how small it is, counts. This is where power of community comes to work. For example, I am running in this year's #tcslondonmarathon for raising £ 2000 for Get Kids Going!, a UK based #charity, inspiring differently abled youngsters to compete in sporting events, from start to paralympic level providing them full support. As of today, I have managed to raise £ 562. I have four more weeks to complete the goal. So, - if 1438 of my 6615 #LinkedIn connections choose to donate £ 1 each - if 719 of my 1200 #UK based LinkedIn connections choose to donate £ 2 each - if 480 of my 1000 #London based LinkedIn connections choose to donate £ 3 each I will reach my target. Sharing below the link to donate to my cause, with great hope:

For the past 8 years, I've spent my spare time working on this little charity, EkeRua ReBicycle. Except it's not so little anymore. Somehow it got quite big. From a few bikes in our garage and a few friends helping fix them up, we've grown to having 3 containers full of bikes, a full workshop, and a team of contractors and volunteers running up to 4 fix ups and training sessions a week. We've supported two other workshops in the region to get firmly established - shout out to Motuhenga and Free Ride. And most importantly, we've given out over 2500 bikes to people who need and wanted them. And we've done all this mostly with volunteer time. I always say, whatever the problem, the solution is a bike. Save money, improve your health, your mental well-being, lower carbon emissions, make or see friends, get to work or school, increase confidence and independence. Bikes are a multi-tool for our community well-being. But this important mahi needs funding to run it. Shoestring budgets don't pay staff bills or replace tools and parts. So we're asking for help. We want to raise $10 for every bike we've given out so far - that's $25000 - to help cover costs of our new workshop and to keep our fix ups going over winter. Can you help us? Sponsor a bike, or three, for $10 each? Or sponsor a Fix up night, or ten, for $100 each??? Regular donations are the best, but right now, we just need to get through winter. Help us out, donate what you can, and please share this link! https://lnkd.in/gAQdxm6i

More than one marathon runner is training carrying a 25Kg fridge. Most people will have read the story of Daniel Fairbrother and his training schedule which drew the attention of Hertfordshire Police this week! It's an extraordinary undertaking in support of a worthwhile cause i.e. Diabetes UK. All power to him. But I was not as surprised to read about this as you might have been. That's because I knew of Laura Bird from Alan Matthews. I've been following the remarkable progress of Laura "Birdy" Bird ever since. Birdy has been in training for a Guiness World Record attempt, too. She aims to run a marathon under 6 hours - with a 25Kg fridge named Ray on her back! She's a long history of taking on near impossible odds - including 30 marathons in 30 days - to raise money and awareness for good causes including East Anglia Air Ambulance, who effectively saved her life after a near fatal road collision. I can wholly recommend her book 10-10-10 which tells her very personal story much better than I can here. You can find this easily available to download from Amazon or you can buy in print. Sales support her activities. The photo shows Birdy at the end of a recent training run. She clocked a time of 13.10 miles (half-marathon) in 3:14:06 - which is simply an amazing achievement in itself. To learn a bit more about Birdy it's well worth your time checking her social media profile and website. Wouldn't it be great to see her get attention for achievements and more support from sponsors? I'll post links to follow in comments. #fridgeovertroubledwater #londonmarathon #halfmarathon #charity #raysofsunshine #bbcnews #itvnews #skynews

https://lnkd.in/eEGxpyzb Ben Franklin's Investing to Give strategy can allow anyone to become a philanthropist. Here is the inspiring story of a Vermont janitor who donated a life-changing fortune to his local hospital and library, all thanks to long-term dividend growth investing. Week 19 of my vegan ultra experiment. Week 1: 61.1 miles Week 2: 61.7 miles Week 3: 62.3 miles Week 4: 62.9 miles Week 5: 63.5 miles Week 6: 64.1 miles Week 7: 64.7 miles Week 8: 65.3 miles Week 9: 65.9 miles Week 10: 66.5 miles Week 11: 67.1 miles Week 12: 67.7 miles Week 13: 90.2 miles (3.5 marathons) Week 14: 78.6 miles (3 marathons) Week 15: 72.6 miles (2.8 marathons) - 5.4 lb weighted vest Week 16 (Austin Marathon week): 81.1 miles (3 marathons) - 8.5 lb weighted vest Week 17 7.9 miles/52.4 miles (sick with Gastritis) - 11.6 lb weighted vest Week 18: 53.8/52.4 miles (2.1 marathons) - 14.7 lb weighted vest Week 19 (current week): 11.1 miles/56.7 miles - 17.8 lb weighted vest Total miles walked: 1,165 miles (44.5 marathons, New York, NY - Omaha, NE ) - 9.2 miles per day Total calories burned: 230,8000 (65.9 lbs of fat) Weight Loss: 106.9 Lbs in 33 weeks = 3.2 lbs per week average #charitablegiving #charity #investing #dividends #dividendinvesting