Our incredible Royal Parks Half Marathon Fundraisers

On Sunday, runners from across our community laced up their trainers to take on the iconic Royal Parks Half Marathon on behalf of us: Bookmark Reading Charity. A total of 12 dedicated runners tackled the 13.1‑mile Royal Parks Half route, including four from our corporate partner: Bank of America. The scenic run started and finished in Hyde Park and winded past some of London’s most famous landmarks, such as Buckingham Palace, the London Eye and the Houses of Parliament.

Together, our runners raised an incredible £4,624 (and counting!) – surpassing our target by 10%! This remarkable achievement will directly help more children learn to read and provide vital support to those at risk of falling behind.

How fundraising helps children discover the joy of reading

Every step our runners took will help children who struggle with reading to build confidence, enjoyment and essential literacy skills. The money raised will fund:

High-quality books for school libraries, giving pupils access to diverse and engaging stories
Technology and resources for our One-to-one Reading Programme, enabling children to take part in online reading sessions with trained Bookmark volunteers
Volunteer training and ongoing support, so each child receives the tailored help they need to catch up with their classmates
Boosting a whole-school reading culture, helping teachers and volunteers foster a love of reading across the whole school – especially in disadvantaged areas where access to books is limited

By running the Royal Parks Half Marathon for Bookmark, our fundraisers are helping us reach more schools, more families and more children who deserve the chance to read with confidence and joy.

Meet the teachers who ran to help children read

Why Amber and Lily chose to run the Royal Parks Half for Bookmark

Primary school teachers Amber and Lily, were two of our community fundraisers at the Royal Parks Half Marathon. They were motivated to run for literacy after seeing “so many children struggle with reading each day. This can greatly impact their development in other subjects and also their mental health.”

They said, “it is amazing to see what Bookmark is doing to support children’s reading to help them live a fuller life. I was inspired by their mission to help children read confidently and enjoy stories”.

How they fundraised and got their community involved

Collectively they raised £1,000 through donations from friends and family, as well as a fundraising quiz they hosted at their local hockey club, where they were joined by more than 50 people. Amber added that they “were also lucky enough to have local businesses donate vouchers and prizes to a raffle we organised, which allowed us to boost our fundraising total”.

Amber’s top tip for fundraising is to work with friends and family, and “see if local businesses or clubs can support you.” She added that “quizzes are a great way to raise money for charity and get lots of people involved”.

Lily said: “Just do it! It’s such a rewarding experience knowing that your efforts are helping children build brighter futures through reading.”

Our top tips for hosting a community fundraiser

Plan early: Secure a venue and permissions where needed
Promote locally: Use community boards, social media groups and school newsletters
Keep it simple: The best fundraisers are fun, affordable and easy to join
Share the impact: Remind participants how their donations help children build confidence and joy through reading
Celebrate success: Post photos, thank everyone publicly and share how much you raised

Spread the word, have some fun and do some good! We love it when our community gets involved to do something adventurous or creative.

If you’d like to learn more about how to get a charity place in an upcoming running event, or want to find out more about fundraising for children’s literacy, visit our website or get in touch.