‘Feel Good’ Fundraising - From a Tiny Acorn…

In our ‘Feel Good Fundraising’ series, Bamboo’s digital marketing apprentice, Georgie, follows up on the stories of inspirational volunteer fundraisers to ask them the questions no one’s thought to ask.

Georgie, it’s over to you.

This week, I was enthralled by the story of Rob Duncombe, Chief Pharmacist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, who ran the London marathon dressed as an oak tree.

I was dying to know how Rob got on, but couldn’t find any follow-up articles, so I reached out to ask.

Rob, how did the run go?

“I completed the marathon, my 40th, in 4 hours and 40 minutes. Sadly, I didn’t break the World Record for running a marathon dressed as a tree, (I missed out by around 35 minutes), but I had a great day. It was incredibly hot though, so staying hydrated was tricky.”

What’s the story behind the costume?

“The tree came about because we are building a new cancer unit at the Marsden called the oak unit. Sol, running as an oak tree seemed like a good way to raise awareness and do something different.

We initially checked whether one of our volunteers would be able to make the costume, but it was a big undertaking, so we went with a professional company, Rainbow Productions, which makes mascots. They make most of the football club mascots.”

Was there any costume camaraderie?

“I met a number of fellow costume wearers at the start, as we were all placed in the same pen, but we separated out quite quickly. I ran with a police officer in full uniform for a while, but I overtook and finished ahead of her in the end!”

Fantastic work, Rob! An amazing achievement for an incredible cause.

If you want to hear about more of his antics, why not follow Rob on Twitter?

Want to donate? Check out his JustGiving page.

Looking for a community fundraiser to inspire volunteers like Rob? Drop us a line at info@amboofundraising.co.uk.