Member Article

Marathon runners help smash £20k fundraising target

Adlington-based waste container services firm Fairport Containers is celebrating smashing its charity fundraising target, which was set to mark its 20th year in business.

The family business, founded in April 1993, decided to give something back to mark its anniversary year, by aiming to raise an impressive £20,000 for good causes.

And with its final event – entering a team of two runners in the London Marathon – the firm has beaten its goal, finishing with £23,461 raised over 12 months.

The firm’s team of runners, Lee Swales from Coppull and Max Halsall from Leyland, drew sponsorship of almost £10,000 for Cancer Research UK by running their first ever marathon. The pair finished the course just over their target time of four hours and recently handed over the impressive cheque to the charity at Fairport Containers’ head office on Market Street.

Welder Lee, who has worked at Fairport for 11 years, and lifelong friend Max, owner of Max Landscapes, were overjoyed to have raised so much money by taking part in the iconic race.

“It was such an amazing experience and I would recommend it to anyone,” Lee said.

“It really was an opportunity of a lifetime and we are very grateful to Fairport Containers for choosing us to take part.”

Max added: “Cancer Research UK means so much to us both personally. I ran in memory of my nan and Lee ran for his mum. We are so proud of our sponsorship total and want to thank everyone who donated from the bottom of our hearts. Support has come from far and wide and we even had strangers stopping us in the streets of London to give donations. It has truly been a humbling experience and a real privilege.”

Fairport Containers kicked off its charity events last April with four energetic employees tackling the 126-mile length of the Leeds Liverpool Canal on bicycles, raising more than £10,000 shared between Derian House Children’s Hospice, St Catherine’s Hospice and Cancer Research UK.

In October, guests at the firm’s anniversary gala dinner and grand auction in Blackrod raised a further £3,500 for Cancer Research UK.

The marathon success tops off the total far above the firm’s target.

Founder of the company and chairman, Andrew Porter, said he hoped that Fairport Containers’ fundraising efforts would leave a lasting legacy.

“We are immensely proud of our business achievements over the past two decades and this fundraising success seems a very fitting way to celebrate,” he said.

“We hope that our charity fundraising will benefit people now and into the future and we would like to thank our staff, customers, suppliers, families and everyone else who has donated.”

Cancer Research UK receives no Government funding, relying entirely on the generosity of supporters.

Jenny Murgatroyd, local fundraising manager, said: “We are delighted with the fantastic amount raised by the team at Fairport Containers. What better way to celebrate a milestone anniversary than to help fund potentially life-saving research? Well done to everyone involved.”

Fairport Containers is the UK’s leading provider of large commercial waste container refurbishment, remodelling, sales and hire.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Wyldfire PR .