At the end of April, John Chapman, a 61-year old dad of three, donned his Team Poppy Factory vest and took part in one of the UK’s biggest fundraising event, the London Marathon.
John’s aim was to raise £2,500 for The Poppy Factory and ahead of the day, he had already smashed his target by raising £3,600. This money will go directly to our employability service, Getting You Back To Work, which helps around 300 veterans with health conditions get back into meaningful employment every year.
John crossed the finish line in 4 hours 23 minutes. He told the Wiltshire Times, “It was absolutely incredible and just amazing. There were thousands of people there and the crowd was cheering us all on the way around the course.”
John was inspired to support The Poppy Factory after becoming aware of the needs of veterans in and around his home town of Bradford-on-Avon.
John said: “I’m passionate about raising awareness of the importance of mental health, particularly as it often affects our veterans. It’s taken a really long time for Britain to switch on to the fact that it’s just as important as physical health.”
Well done John! We are so grateful for your huge dedication for running the London Marathon and supporting The Poppy Factory.
If you would like to fundraise in aid of The Poppy Factory and help us to support more veterans with health conditions into work, you can run, jump or bake. Email Alice, our Corporate Partnerships Manager at aliceb@poppyfactory.org for more ideas!
More you might like
- Find out more about our Getting You Back to Work service
- Read more inspiring stories from veterans we’ve supported
- Explore The Poppy Factory’s rich history
- Make a donation and help us continue our life-changing work.