Sixteen colleagues from Toolstation’s Support Centre are walking a total of 992 miles with their furry friends throughout the month of May to help raise money for its charity partner, Macmillan Cancer Support.

The sixteen participants have a target of 62 miles per person to complete the dog walk challenge – equating to just over two marathons each. Colleagues will be tracking their mileage via a mobile application before collating their total distance on May 31.

A £1,000 fundraising goal has been set by the team. Donations can be made through the team’s Just Giving page. 

Adele Swift, Talent Attraction and Recruitment Manager at Toolstation, is one of the colleagues taking on the challenge, intends to walk two miles a day, and has currently completed 24 miles as we arrive at the halfway mark. 

“Me and my dog Pablo have been out walking every day so far, come rain or shine. Safe to say we have ended up with a fair share of bad hair days!” states Adele. 

“I unfortunately lost my dad to cancer at the age of 50, and my mum is a cancer survivor. Throughout this time, Macmillan has provided my family with fantastic support, and I want to continue ensuring their services are available to the people who need them most.”

The fundraising goal of £1,000 could pay for a Macmillan nurse for one week, helping people living with cancer and their families receive essential medical, practical, and emotional support.

Alternatively, spending £1,000 on Macmillan’s phone service could lead to the charity’s welfare rights advisers on the Support Line helping people affected by cancer to claim £25,716 in benefits they are entitled to.

Rebecca Fanning, Corporate Partnerships Officer at Macmillan Cancer Support, says: “We’re hugely grateful for Toolstation’s continued support and to its colleagues for taking on this demanding challenge throughout May. We have lots of exciting plans in the pipeline for our partnership this year, with teams taking part in Macmillan’s Tough Mudder and Coffee Morning events. Every penny raised will help Macmillan to continue doing whatever it takes to provide physical, emotional and financial support for people living with cancer.”

Since launching the partnership in 2020, Toolstation has now raised over £1,500,000 to help the leading cancer charity provide vital support for the millions of people living with or affected by cancer in the UK.

Fundraising has taken place across the business, with colleagues at its distribution centres, head office and 550+ stores all getting involved throughout the year to help reach the record figure. 

Last month, Toolstation’s Retail Director Simon Robinson ran the London Marathon in support of the retailer’s £100,000 fundraising target, whilst Contact Centre colleague Fiona Staples raised £1,000 as she braved the shave for Macmillan. 

Adele and the remaining participants hope to follow suit by completing the dog walk challenge, “I was so inspired by my colleague Fiona committing to brave the shave for Macmillan , and was in awe of Simon and several other team members who ran the London Marathon. It motivated all of us to continue supporting such an amazing cause and contributing to the total raised throughout the business.”