RICHARD Negus has raised nearly £2,500 after completing a monumental coastal marathon for the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust’s (GWCT) Action for Curlew campaign.
The passionate supporter of the GWCT took on the Northumberland Coastal Marathon - a 28-mile run from Alnwick to Bamburgh through sand hills, soft dunes, and wide expanse of beach - last month.
His strong efforts saw him cross the line in 5hours 25minutes among 300 runners.
“It was one of the hardest things I’ve done but have raised a huge amount of money for a vital cause,” said Richard, who is a landscape gardener from Finnigham in Suffolk.
“While my finish time was over two hours slower than that of the first athlete across the tape, my advancing years means that I came 13th in my Veterans group, which I’m delighted with.”
It’s an event Richard decided to enter last year as he wanted to help halt the curlew’s plight by raising funds for the Trust’s fundraising campaign.
Research indicates are just 300 pairs of breeding curlew left south of Birmingham and, at the current rate of loss, they will disappear from this region in the next eight years.
Numbers have dropped at an alarming rate due to a number of reasons including habitat loss and predation pressure.
And for every £250 Richard raises, the money will fund a GWCT advisor to visit a farmer or landowner to provide practical support, advice and guidance that can immediately be put into practice.
In addition to completing the running race, the 46-year-old raised awareness of the iconic species by holding a day of fun and educational activities at Thorndon Primary School, where his son attends.
Pupils learnt more about what they could do to help the curlew as Dr Roger Draycott, head of advisory services at GWCT, paid a visit.
They also made masks for curlews and fat balls to provide additional winter feed for farmland birds, as well as learning techniques how to identify the popular species.
Richard added: “Taking on marathons to raise money for charity is an awesome thing to do if you can, and a challenge I very much enjoyed.”
“All that is left now is to think of another challenge to undertake on behalf of the charity and to thank anyone reading this who donated to my efforts. If anyone is inspired to donate, my Just Giving page is still open!”
To help Richard reach his target of £3,000, donate here https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/richard-negus3
How you can help fundraise for the GWCT
If you'd like to follow in Richard's footsteps it’s never been easier to raise funds and support the vital work of the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust.
Whether you’re taking part in a run, organising a clay shooting day or skydiving(!), by using JustGiving you can set up a fundraising page in a matter of minutes and start taking donations online.
We will promote your page to over 30,000 GWCT members and supporters plus tens of thousands of Facebook, Twitter and Instagram users.
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Notes to editors
The Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust – providing research-led conservation for a thriving countryside. The GWCT is an independent wildlife conservation charity which has carried out scientific research into Britain’s game and wildlife since the 1930s. We advise farmers and landowners on improving wildlife habitats. We employ 22 post-doctoral scientists and 50 other research staff with expertise in areas such as birds, insects, mammals, farming, fish and statistics. We undertake our own research as well as projects funded by contract and grant-aid from Government and private bodies. The Trust is also responsible for a number of Government Biodiversity Action Plan species and is lead partner for grey partridge and joint lead partner for brown hare and black grouse.
For information, contact:
Eleanor Williams
Telephone: 07592 025476
Email: press@gwct.org.uk