UPDATE: An enormous to thank you to everyone that has donated! £17,600 really is an incredible amount of money and a fantastic tribute to William

A little note on how the money is to be spent by our two charities.

Baraka

Full furnishing of the William Reid Library with books, desks, chairs, shelving and other soft furnishings such as beanbags. It is also hoped that there will be enough funding left over to extend the library with the addition of a new outdoor reading area and landscaped surroundings.

Funding will also be allocated towards the purchasing of a new Baraka vehicle, intended for the off-road transportation of building supplies and the ferrying of children between the Learning Centre and local communities.

The remainder of the funding will be allocated to a number of smaller projects around the Learning Centre, including the construction of a permanent chalet for visiting teachers and volunteers.

Cyrenians

Will use all funding raised to support the charity's Good Food programme, which strives to provide dignified access to tasty, nutririous food as well as a place for social interaction (virtual at present) for those in need. During lockdown, Cyrenians have already provided food for over 3 million meals in the Edinburgh area and hope to be able to continue to support this vital work with the funding provided.

 A massive thank you once again to everyone involved!

 Our Reason to Run

An already difficult time, this winter is expected to inflict additional hardship on millions across the globe as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. The United Nations estimates that an additional 150 million children have slipped back into poverty since the pandemic began. Closer to home, recent Scottish Government estimates suggest that in Edinburgh, Scotland's wealthiest city, as many as 78,000 people are currently living in relative poverty, accounting for almost 15% of the population. With this in mind, Jack Fullerton, Finn Murphy, Cameron Reid, Sean Parr, Stuart Ogilvie and myself have decided to run a marathon around Edinburgh to raise money for those that will need it most over the coming months.

In Memoriam

We would like to dedicate our run, and all funds raised, to Dr William Reid (pictured). An outstanding brother, son and friend who was tragically taken from us just under a year ago. An aspiring surgeon, William had dedicated his life to helping others and we are honoured to continue to support life-changing work, both here in Edinburgh and abroad, in his name.

All going well, we are planning to run on the 30th January. We are thrilled to announce that we will be joined in spirit by Eoin O'Doherty, Andrew Shafik and Paul Spence, who will be running their own marathons in memory of Will in Glasgow, London and Inverness respectively.

We will also be holding a number of shorter events throughout February for those that will be unable to join us on the marathon. We hope this will allow everyone that donates the chance to commemorate Will by completing a stretch of the route of their choosing. Details to follow soon.

Our Charities

In recognition of the challenges currently facing both Edinburgh and the wider global community, we have chosen to split all funds raised between two different charities.

Cyrenians is an Edinburgh-based charity which works to tackle the causes and consequences of homelessness. With over fifty years' experience, Cyrenians supports those excluded from family, home, work and community in order to achieve its vision of a truly inclusive society where all are able to live rich and fulfilling lives.

More information can be found at: https://cyrenians.scot/

Baraka Community Partnerships are a small charity, with a handful of projects across Africa and Asia, which seek to alleviate poverty primarily through the provision of educational opportunities and healthcare support. The William Reid Foundation has already done some exceptional work with Baraka in Zambia, culminating in the construction of a community school in William's name. We are proud to be able to strengthen this connection by raising funds to supply furniture and books for the new "William Reid Library" in Baraka's Learning Centre in the country.

More information can be found at: https://www.facebook.com/BarakaCommunityPartnerships

Our run will begin outside George Heriot's School, which Will attended for 14 years, feature some of Edinburgh’s greatest landmarks, including Easter Road Stadium, and culminate at William’s memorial plaque on Blackford Hill. Any willing participants are more than welcome to join and all donations will be much appreciated!