In April 2019 hundreds of fundraisers took part in our annual Local Hero fundraiser competition. After a tightly fought race, Nathan Swain took bronze position in the competition, having run the London Marathon in support of Safe Families for Children Wales. Thanks to Nathan’s third place finish, Safe Families for Children Wales were awarded a prize of £500, adding to the phenomenal £2,300 he had already accrued through online donations.
Once his calves had recovered, Nathan kindly took the time to talk to us about his challenge and his charity of choice.
How did you get involved with Safe Families for Children?
“Through my line of work I am aware of the adverse impact children placed in foster care can experience, and the residual effect it can have for years to come. Through a notice on my local church notice board I became aware of the work of Safe Families for Children, a charity working hand-in-hand with local children’s services to link families in need with a network of local volunteers who can offer them support, intervening before formal involvement of the care system."
How did you decide upon you challenge and what preparation did you need to do?
"Having been a runner for around three years, and becoming comfortable at the Half Marathon distance, I felt it was time to challenge myself with a marathon and managed to secure a ballot place at the London Marathon. What should’ve been prime running time over the winter was ridden with injuries which prevented me running, but I managed to keep fit through cycling. In early spring I was able to get running again and got out two or three times a week to get race ready.”
What did you most enjoy most about your challenge and taking part in the Local Hero competition?
“I really enjoyed pushing myself, and knowing that my efforts were not only for my personal gain, but had helped secure important finances for a small volunteer led charity
I found it enjoyable getting on the leaderboard early which spurred me on to encourage more people to donate and help secure additional prize money funding for the charity.”
Why do you think your campaign was such a success?
“It was a combination of a marathon being a big challenge and choosing a charity that people could relate to and see tangible benefits through their donations. I feel more people were willing to donate to support me because I wasn’t running for a large national charity, I wouldn’t be part of 100 runners fundraising for the same cause – instead I would be the only runner wearing Safe Families colours, and would be the only person fundraising to support their work.”
What channels did you use to promote your challenge and why?
“I predominantly promoted my fundraising to friends and family through my social media accounts on Instagram and Facebook. My posts were also shared through Safe Families for Children’s accounts, which raised awareness to a wider audience of individuals who were already aware of and supportive of their work.”
Do you know if Safe families have any specific plans or projects for this funding /what will be the impact of this funding.
“I am due to meet with the Chairman of Trustees soon, to gain an understanding of the impact my fundraising will have for this charity and the work it will support.”
What advice would you give to someone interested in fundraising for a local charity?
“People tend to be unaware of the great work undertaken by small charities in their area. Fundraising for them will not only help fund their activities, but raise their profile in the community. Having fundraised for both national and small charities such as Safe Families, I found it more rewarding to be promoting the work of a small charity, and more encouraging to know that the money I raise will be going directly to helping their cause rather than covering overheads.”