Running my first 10K for Linkage’s Weelsby Hall heritage project

This year, Linkage is celebrating its 50th anniversary as a charity and I turned 50 too. To mark the occasion, I’m hoping to raise £2,500 to support Linkage’s amazing work supporting people with learning disabilities and/or autism at Weelsby Hall in Grimsby.

Last year, I started running using the Couch to 5K programme and ran my first 5K. I’m now going to attempt double the distance and my first sponsored challenge, by running in the Ørsted Great Grimsby 10k on 7th June.

What I’m raising money for

I’m fundraising for Linkage’s project, ‘An inclusive and sustainable future for Weelsby Hall’.

Weelsby Hall is one of North East Lincolnshire’s grandest Victorian buildings. The Hall is set in a beautiful 12-acre site and its history is connected to Grimsby’s fishing heritage. The project will repair and refurbish the Hall to become a training centre and its Stables outbuildings will provide specialist accommodation for people with learning disabilities and autism. There will be greater public access so that people can visit and learn about the Hall’s history.

Why this matters to me

I’ve been working with Linkage since 2019 – developing the project, preparing a successful £3.5 million bid to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and now helping deliver it. I began a career in the grant funding sector 25 years ago (another anniversary) and supporting organisations like Linkage matters to me. This project will make a huge difference to Linkage as a charity and will preserve an important part of Grimsby’s heritage.

How you can help

Linkage still needs to raise a significant amount of match funding to complete the project. Any contribution, big or small, will make a difference. Many thanks for donating if you can and for sharing this page.