On Sunday 12th October, eight members of the Corten Capital team – Clay, Craig, Simon, Niklas, Neil, Deniz, Andrea, and Joe – will be lacing up their trainers to take on the Royal Parks Half Marathon in support of Ada, the National College for Digital Skills. Covering 13.1 miles through London’s Royal Parks and past some of the city’s landmarks, it’s a fantastic opportunity for our team to come together for a cause we care deeply about.

This run is part of Corten’s wider philanthropic initiative, through which we provide firm-level support, match employee donations, and volunteer with organisations addressing need and exclusion in our communities. A core focus of this initiative is supporting organisations that tackle socio-economic disadvantage by enabling access to technology and digital skills for young people from challenging backgrounds.

Ada is one such charity. With campuses in London and Manchester, they are dedicated to bridging the gap between disadvantaged learners and the digital industry. Their programmes equip students with the practical skills needed to succeed in technology and their results speak volumes.

Since beginning our partnership in 2024, we’ve been proud to support them in a variety of ways – from volunteering in classrooms and hosting workplace visits, to Dean Forbes delivering the keynote at graduation and Caroline Watteeuw giving a Lovelace Lecture. The Royal Parks Half is the next step in that journey.

Funds raised from the Royal Parks Half will help Ada to expand outreach to disadvantaged learners, support travel costs for low-income students, strengthen their ability to attract teaching talent, and provide wrap-around support beyond what is typically funded in the UK.