Staff take to the streets to support Macmillan charity

This coming Sunday 27th April, staff from Redditch based multi temperature supply chain specialists Oakland International, will be cheering on eleven members of their team as they take to the streets to run the 5 kilometres in this year’s Birmingham Fun Run in aid of the Macmillan Cancer Support charity.

Starting from Villa Park, the route will follow a preset road route before ending with a full lap of The Birmingham Alexander Stadium. Maxime Pinchon, Oakland key account controller and staff run co-ordinator, speaking for the Oakland team, said: “Cancer is indiscriminate and everyone of us either knows or has experienced a family member being told they have cancer. By taking part in the Fun Run we are actively helping fight this terrible disease and mobilising Oakland people for this great cause and we get fit at the same time too!”

Every day over 700 people in the UK are told they have cancer, more than one million people have had a cancer diagnosis, and more than one in three will be diagnosed at some point in their life.

Macmillan Cancer Support is increasing its range of services, which includes Macmillan nurses, doctors and other health professionals, cancer care centres. They also provide an increasing range of cancer information, practical help at home and help with money, with all their work funded entirely through the generosity of supporters.

Training for the run has taken a number of guises, said Maxime: “We are all runners or have been runners in the past. Taking part in this charity Fun Run has made all realise how much we have missed running. Macmillan Cancer Support is an amazing charity that offers practical and emotional support, helping to change the lives of people living with cancer. Helping the charity raise the funds they need to continue this service is the least we can do.”

Raising over £600 to date for the charity, Oakland International and Heron Supplies sponsored the team by paying registration fees and providing team kit, with Oakland adding an additional £500 to the team’s pot following this Sunday’s race.

Oakland director, Sallie Attwell, said: “It’s great seeing so many of our team taking part. Not only are they raising money to help fight cancer, they have also enjoyed the team building and personal challenges experienced whilst training for the event.”