A Manchester foster carer’s commitment to helping vulnerable children in care has inspired two of his colleagues and a friend to take on a gruelling running challenge to raise vital funds for charity.
Stephen Leach, who works for construction firm Schofield and Sons, and his wife, Julie, from Greater Manchester, have been fostering with The Foster Care Charity (FCC) for three years. In that time, they have provided a loving and caring home for six children.
The couple’s fostering journey has deeply impacted those around them prompting Stephen’s colleagues Ben Scholes and Syabonga Mnembe (S’ya), alongside Phil Crampton, Ben’s brother-in-law, to take on the “496 Challenge” to contribute towards FCC’s £3,000 fundraising target.
Starting today, the determined trio will run progressively increasing distances each day in July, culminating in a total of 496 kilometres (308 miles). Designed by Sean Conway, statistics show only 10 percent of challengers actually finish, making their commitment all the more remarkable.
“The challenge demands the same dedication and perseverance needed to be a foster carer,”
“The 496 Challenge requires commitment and stamina – values and skills we look for in our compassionate foster carers. There are lots of connections between this challenge and fostering.
Steve Field, director at The FCC.
“We’re incredibly grateful to these inspiring individuals for taking this on. Every kilometre they run brings them closer to our goal of raising at least £3,000 – which will be used to provide vital support and training to our foster carers.”
The team will run 1km on the 1st, 2km on the 2nd and so on until they complete a total of 496 km – the equivalent of just under 12 marathons.
“Stephen has just devoted his life to The FCC. What he does for these kids, I couldn’t ever do anything like that myself, I just couldn’t commit. But what I can do is run – a lot!”
Ben Scholes
The challenge poignantly highlights the need for more foster carers. On average, a child enters the care system every 15 minutes – roughly the time it takes to run around 2 km. Over the course of FCC’s 496 Challenge, the runners could potentially cover the entry of nearly 250 children into the foster care system.
According to Greater Manchester Combined Authority, over 6,000 children are currently in care in Greater Manchester, whilst the number of fostering applications has fallen by 14 per cent.
While each runner will tackle the challenge individually, a representative from FCC will join them on the 1st, 15th, and final day in July, symbolising the charity’s unwavering support. Schofield and Sons has also pledged its support to the cause.
The FCC is dedicated to putting children first, with its mission to provide a safe and nurturing environment for vulnerable children who need it most.
To find out more about The FCC and the 496 challenge, please visit https://fostercarecharity.org.uk/join-fccs-496-fundraising-challenge/
Donations can be made through the FCC’s JustGiving page: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/fcc496challenge24
All funds raised will directly benefit the FCC’s foster carers with enhanced support and training, so that they can provide the best possible care to the children they look after.
