Loans Warehouse’s 2021 charity fitness challenge in support of New Hope has drawn over 120 industry figures to the cause.

Every year, the specialist broker sets its directors, staff and supporters in the industry a fitness challenge in January in support of a chosen charity.

This year’s charity is New Hope which provides services for people who are homeless from its base in Watford in the form of shelter, food, clothes, and laundry facilities for up to 60 people every night.

In addition, they offer a 24/7 emergency helpline and a street outreach service.

To date the challenge, which is to run a marathon distance of 26.2 miles outdoors within the month of January, has raised £10,000 including Gift Aid.

Matt Tristram, co-founder of Loans Warehouse, said: “At a time when everyone is enduring the challenge of living and working during this pandemic, the response to the LW challenge and the needs of homeless people through New Hope, has been nothing less than spectacular.”

“Here we are in lockdown with so many of us suffering the effects of the pandemic, whether financial or mental and particularly those who have lost family and friends. So, it is understandable that we might become inward looking in the face of Covid-19.

“In normal times, many of us tend to believe or hope that someone else or some official body will help those less fortunate, so we don’t have to.

“However, if there is one important thing our challenge has proved it is the extraordinary capacity of people in our industry to reach out and help others. We might not be on the front line, like New Hope’s volunteers, but the money donated, and each weary mile run is a testament to the desire to help.

“Small, unsung charities like New Hope are doing fantastic work all over the country and while this 2021 Challenge aims to raise money for the here and now, if it acts as a catalyst to encourage more of us to look beyond ourselves and donate on a regular basis or volunteer to help others, our country and our own lives will be infinitely richer.”

Rebecca Palmer, fundraising and communications manager at New Hope, added: “It’s been a challenging year for New Hope but one silver lining has been the amazing support of our local community, particularly this outstanding fundraising endeavour from the Loans Warehouse team.

“We are absolutely overwhelmed by the amount raised and so grateful. As a charity, we are dependent on donations from members of the public and fundraising events and the money raised will help people who are experiencing homelessness in Watford get back on their feet again.”

The runners can be tracked here https://www.strava.com/clubs/running-for-new-hope-807351 but more importantly donations can be made here https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-display/showROFundraiserPage?userUrl=LoansWarehouse&isTeam=true