My story

 

The total above includes £481.50 Gift Aid.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.  I ran the Virgin London Marathon on April 22nd 2012, to raise money to support WWT's work to save the Spoon-billed Sandpiper.

 I started running in 2008, and this was my first marathon.  It was an amazing (if painful) experience, running in a huge field with fantastic, supportive spectators lining the route.  I finished in 4:19:35.  Huge thanks to all my donors - your support made big difference to my motivation on the day, and, more importantly,will make a big difference to the sandpiper.

The "Spoony" is a small wading bird which is hurtling towards extinction perhaps faster than any other bird species, with probably fewer than 100 pairs remaining and the population in freefall. Without urgent action, it will probably be gone within a decade.

It is named for its unique bill, which it uses to sieve tiny animals from wet mudflats.  It breeds on the coastal tundra of remote north-eastern Russia, and migrates 8,000 km to its wintering grounds in tropical South and Southeast Asia.

Its catastrophic decline appears to be caused by trapping on the wintering grounds and the loss of the inter-tidal habitats on which it refuels during its long migration.

A collaborative effort is under way to bring this amazing little bird back from the brink of extinction.  In summer 2011 WWT led a successful expedition to the Russian Far East to collect eggs and rear chicks to establish a captive breeding population.  This will buy time for conservation action aimed at tackling the trapping and the habitat destruction to take effect before the wild population is lost completely.

The plan is to build up numbers in captivity, so that within a few years, birds can be released back into the wild to augment the remaining wild population while work to reduce hunting and habitat pressure is completed.  Any help you can give by donating through JustGiving is really important and will be greatly appreciated.

It's simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer.  You can donate in pounds sterling from anywhere in the world by debit or credit card or via Paypal.

So please dig deep and donate now, and please spread the word to anyone else you think might like to help.

Thanks

Nigel Hewston

My gallery 5

My Teams

My company

My charity

Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust

Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust

Charity Registration No. 1030884

The Wildfowl & Wetland Trust (WWT) is an international leader in the development and protection of wetland habitats and the wildlife they support throughout the world. Founded in 1946 by the naturalist and artist Sir Peter Scott, the Trust’s national network of nine wetland visitor centres inspires over one million visitors a year.

Donations 76

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Well done Nigel - We'll keep a look out for you on the telly. Darren and Sue

Donation by darren sefton on 17/02/12

£5.00

+ £1.25 Gift Aid

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Donation by John Forrest on 12/02/12

Donation by Margaret Irish on 12/02/12

£20.00

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This is an inspiring project - it is sad that it is necessary, but I'd really like to see it succeed! Best of luck with the run. (Met you on Sunday)

Donation by Edward Crane on 07/02/12

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Nigel - All best wishes for your brave sponsorship idea for this very worthy cause.

Donation by Pat and John Everett on 18/01/12

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Good luck Nigel.

Donation by Kath Carruthers on 17/01/12

£50.00

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Good luck, it's for a great cause. I'm a member of WWT so hopefully I will see you there as I'm a keen photographer. Steve Shooting Stars Circus

Donation by Stephen Grainger on 14/01/12

£20.00

+ £5.00 Gift Aid

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What a great cause! Good luck.

Donation by olwen gillespie on 10/01/12

£15.00

+ £3.75 Gift Aid

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Great cause. Will look out for you on the day! Warmest regards. Shirley and David- Blackheath, London.

Donation by Shirley Broughton on 09/01/12

£20.00

+ £5.00 Gift Aid

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Good luck with the training, we look forward to tracking your progress on the day. Hope you raise lots of money!

Donation by Margaret & Rob Carruthers on 09/01/12

£25.00

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Best of luck. I ran a marathon for Birdlife Intl 2 years ago so am delighted to support you and your efforts.

Donation by Nigel Voaden on 05/01/12

£20.00

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Thank you Nigel for boosting such a good cause! Heartfelt gratitude to all concerned.

Donation by Maureen (Mo) Warren on 29/12/11

£50.00

+ £12.50 Gift Aid

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Good luck with all the training. Best regards, Andrew

Donation by Andrew Blyth on 22/12/11

£20.00

+ £5.00 Gift Aid

Brilliant that you're doing this, hope it goes well.

Donation by Geoff Hilton on 03/12/11

£20.00

+ £5.00 Gift Aid

Good to see you are still doing your bit - hope it goes well!

Donation by Ian Sleigh on 30/11/11

£20.00

+ £5.00 Gift Aid

Well done Nigel and hopefully we will be there to cheer you on as well!

Donation by John Ellis on 30/11/11

£10.00

+ £2.50 Gift Aid

Not a bad cause I supose ;)

Donation by roland digby on 30/11/11

£20.00

+ £5.00 Gift Aid

Thanks Nige. More than marathon runners, it needs you and the team; it'll be a longer haul for you than for me. Here's your fiver, with interest!

Donation by Nigel Hewston on 29/11/11

£10.00

+ £2.50 Gift Aid

Really, I love this initiative! To all who work on the conservation of these great creatures: keep up the good work.

Donation by Jan Harteman on 29/11/11

£50.00

A nod of respect to you :-)

Donation by Paul Murphy on 29/11/11

£20.00

+ £5.00 Gift Aid

Thank you Nigel :). This bird needs marathon runners cos its gonna be a long, long haul... but every step of the way will be worth it in the end!

Donation by Nige on 29/11/11

£10.00

+ £2.50 Gift Aid

Saw this on the spoon-billed sandpiper blog. Good luck!

Donation by Rachel Brook on 27/11/11

£5.00

Good luck Nigel. It's a great cause for a LOVELY bird + other species that are dying as a result of us human beings.

Donation by Helena Jefferson on 24/11/11

£26.00

+ £6.50 Gift Aid

A fantastic cause. All the very best - and I hope you massively overshoot your target.

Donation by Russ Heselden on 24/11/11

£20.00

+ £5.00 Gift Aid

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Can't believe you're so new to running and you're embarking on this for my favourite bird. Good Luck!

Donation by Ken Tucker on 22/11/11

£10.00

+ £2.50 Gift Aid

Donation summary

  • * Online donations£1,386.00
  • Offline donations£2,387.50
  • Text donations£50.00
  • Total raised£3,823.50
  • Gift Aid£271.50

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