Sporting Events

Take part in a sporting event to raise money for Womankind; whether you’re a seasoned marathon runner or a first-timer looking to walk rather than run, there’s a sponsored event perfect for you!

If you feel you need some inspiration, read about our two sporty fundraisers, Jonathan and Rosie. Then find out how you can get your adrenaline going whilst raising money for Womankind!

Jonathan’s Trans-Alp Bike Adventure

Jonathan Morton took off on the 14^th July 2012 to compete in one of the hardest mountain bike stage races in the world, the Craft Bike Trans-Alp. This would be his fifth time riding in it, but this time he decided to raise money for Womankind.

In Jonathan’s own words; “things did not work out as planned”. Just days before the race he lost his race partner and was not allowed to change partner or go solo.

But luckily for us, Jonathan is no ordinary fundraiser. He managed to find himself a single place on a Trans-Alp Tour, a 6 day challenge over 450km. He had lots of fun with his fellow riders and despite a few nerve-fraying moments, he could still find time to enjoy the scenery –

“Beautiful little villages, pastures so green, wildflower meadows, red geraniums everywhere and always the backdrop of the mountains.”

Jonathan is a long-term supporter, but was inspired to raise money for Womankind after reading about our partner’s work to end female genital mutilation in Ethiopia.

Jonathan raised £1035,00 in total.

Rosie’s London Marathon Experience

After coming to the Womankind offices to volunteer, Rosie was inspired to take up one of our places in the London Marathon 2012. This was despite the fact that she had never gone for a run before and only had 10 weeks left to train!

“The training was gruelling but massively rewarding. At times I really wanted to give up, but every time I went back to the office, or looked at the posters and pictures on my wall, I felt inspired to keep going.”

On the Sunday 22^nd April 2012 Rosie crossed the finish line after 5 hours, 28 minutes and 55 seconds. This smashed all of her personal targets, but best of all she had raised over £2000 to help Womankind’s work in Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Rosie made a series of videos to keep her friends and family up to date with her training, and also to encourage people to sponsor her. Watch her final video which she made after the race, hoping to inspire others to enter in 2013.

Other Womankind Fundraiser Stories

Russell Dady, Land’s End to John O’Groats End-to-End Cycle, 28/08/2012, £730.00 raised so far

“I decided to finally complete the Land’s End to John o’Groat’s cycle challenge I’ve wanted to do for years. I decided to do this as a fundraiser for Womankind because they work with local partners to promote the rights of women; they are interested in helping people to help themselves.  I think that’s great.  Also, they mainly talk in their promotional materials about results rather than problems; theirs is a positive message.  I love that.”

Hannah Lloyd-Jones, Taunton 10K, 30/09/12, £175.00 raised so far

“I’m running 10k for the first time in my life and at the same time hoping to raise some cash for Womankind Worldwide. One of the reasons why I support Womankind is because they are emphatic about working with local community groups to develop solutions that work locally, rather than imposing UK-grown ideas on women who live in very different circumstances.”

Jenny Dixon, Paris – Hayling Bike Ride, 10/07/11, raised £141.00

Jenny Dixon was one of 64 cyclists to enter the Paris to Hayling Bike Ride in July 2011. She completed 275 miles in Northern France over 5 days – what endurance, well done Jenny!

Sara Turnbull, National 3 Peaks Challenge, raised £455.00

“I completed the National 3 Peaks Challenge in 34h 30mins! This includes the total time from the bottom of the first mountain to the last including driving time between mountains! I chose to raise money for Womankind as a long time ago I volunteered in Nepal and worked with rural women’s groups.”

Next Steps

1. Find your event.

   Events are held across the country to suit every level of fitness, from a full marathon to a sponsored walk. Make sure it is an event which allows you to fundraise for Womankind as some events are restricted to a particular charity. If you need help finding a suitable event, contact us

2. Register.

   Once you have found the perfect event, you just need to register with the organisers, giving Womankind’s details where required.

3. Start fundraising.

   Then it’s time to start collecting that sponsorship! Set up an online fundraising page at www.justgiving.com/womankind and follow the simple steps to create your fundraising page and start publicising it.

For advice or more information contact Tom on 020 7549 0360 or email tom@womankind.org.uk

How your sponsorship helps

Raise £280 and pay for a survivor of domestic violence and her young children to stay for up to three months in a safe house in Harare, Zimbabwe, providing counselling, medical care, legal support and skills training.

Raise £575 and pay for 350 indigenous Bolivian women to develop the skills and abilities to become leaders in their community and to challenge discrimination and exclusion